Will Malaysia Benefit From Stronger Intellectual Property Protection Via Trips?

Abstract

By the year 2000, Malaysia and other developing country members of the WTO are expected to comply with the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. Developing countries are being told that there are substantial benefits to be gained by adopting higher standards of intellectual property rights (IRPs) protection. It is claimed that this will provide greater incentives for local innovation, attract more foreign R&D activities, attract FDI into skilled and technology-intensive industries and facilitate the transfer of technology. However, developing countries remain skeptical. This paper begins by discussing the extent to which Malaysia has complied with the TRIPS provisions. It subsequently evaluates to what extent Malaysia may expect to see the claimed benefits from compliance. The paper closes with a discussion on policies and measures that might be undertaken if Malaysia hopes to capture more fully the potential benefits of the TRIPS agreement.