Cambridge University Press Private Power, Public Law: The Globalization of Intellectual Property Rights: 88 (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, Series Number 88)

Susan K. Sell's book shows how power in international politics is increasingly exercised by private interests rather than governments. In 1994 the WTO adopted the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which dictated to states how they should regulate the protection of intellectual property. This book argues that TRIPS resulted from lobbying by twelve powerful CEOs of multinational corporations who wished to mould international law to protect their markets. This book examines the politics leading up to TRIPS, the first seven years of its implementation, and the political backlash against TRIPS in the face of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Focusing on global capitalism, ideas, and economic coercion, this work explains the politics behind TRIPS and the controversies created in its wake. It is a fascinating study of the influence of private interests in government decision-making, and in the shaping of the global economy. Review '… a very good book … lucidly and engagingly written as well as being excellently researched.' The King's College Law Journal Book Description Analysis of the power of multinational corporations in moulding international law on intellectual property rights. About the Author Susan K. Sell is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at The George Washington University. She is the author of Power and Ideas: The North-South Politics of Intellectual Property and Antitrust (1998).