The incorporation of intellectual property protection into the WTO international trading system has been a milestone in international economic law and has added a new dimension to trade regulation — new rights and obligations and new challenges alike. The contributors, leading scholars and practitioners in the field, provide insights into the legal relationship of the TRIPs Agreement to the GATT 94 and the GATS. The book widens the debate with a thorough discussion on pending and unresolved relations of TRIPs, the WTO, UPOV, the Convention on Biodiversity and Farmers' Rights contained in the FAO International Undertaking, and efforts of the World Bank GCIAR system, including IPGRI. What will be the impact of TRIPs on ownership of plant genetic resources?
Largely a victory for OECD countries, the present state of intellectual property rights has important implications for developing countries. The incorporation of intellectual property rights into the WTO system will eventually change the relationship of trade, competition, and intellectual property. It will equally have to assist in providing equitable sharing of benefits in the use of plant genetic resources. All of these issues are essential for the revision of exclusions from patenting in TRIPs. This volume offers insights into how this difficult task could and should be approached in a balanced manner and will be essential reading for economists and trade and intellectual property lawyers interested in the subject. Moreover, the volume will be relevant to agricultural economists as it addresses complex problems in the interstices of trade, intellectual property, plant genetic resources, and sustainable development.
Thomas Cottier is Professor of European and International Economic Law, University of Bern, and Managing Director, World Trade Institute, University of Bern.
Petros C. Mavroidis is Professor of Law, University of Neuchâtel. He formerly worked in the Legal Affairs Division of the World Trade Organization.
Marion Panizzon is Research Fellow, University of Bern.
Simon Lacey is Research Fellow, University of Bern.

The WTO is generally seen as a key actor of globalization and, as such, has been the point of convergence of popular irritation worldwide. Many of the reproaches addressed to the WTO show civil societys concern with what is perceived as a democratic deficit in the way the organization operates. The main fear is to see trade rise as the ultimate value, prevailing over concerns such as health and environment. The Role of the Judge offers insight into how disputes are solved at the WTO level, into how the judicial branch interacts with the rest of the organization, and into the degree of sensitivity of the system to external input. The book sheds light on the judicial system governing the WTO and shows it to be the only truly multilateral system where disputes are solved by third-party adjudication.
The book develops along three lines: the first a search for cases submitted to the WTO where the judge exceeded its authority; the second a comparison of the WTO with the operations of national judicial systems having different levels of integration, specifically the United States (federal level) and the EC (quasi-federal level); and the third an exploration of directions for the future of dispute settlement in the WTO.
Reflecting the diversity of its contributors, this book addresses questions of economics, political science, and law, bringing an unusual level of multidisciplinarity to this topic and context. It is designed for both academic readers and practitioners, who will find it full of practical insights as well as rich and detailed analysis.
Thomas Cottier is Professor of European and International Economic Law, University of Bern, and Managing Director, World Trade Institute, University of Bern.
Petros C. Mavroidis is Professor of Law, University of Neuchâtel. He formerly worked in the Legal Affairs Division of the World Trade Organization.
Patrick Blatter is Mavroidiss scientific collaborator.