developing world Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) governs copyright internationally in accordance with the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (or TRIPS), a legal arrangement that requires all member states to establish and adhere to a minimum standard of intellectual property protection. Critics have long highlighted the need to revise TRIPS over the possibility that the agreement could cause difficulty in a state’s ability to deal with a public health crisis. This became increasingly controversial during 2020 as conflicts over copyright and patent waivers potentially slowed down global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Do we need to revise TRIPS in light of the pandemic?