Q&A: tracing the history of TRIPS agreement

Question: I am researching on the negotiating history of article 66.2 of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). I would like to find information on debates that preceded adoption of this Article in the Agreement. I have not been able to find any particular thread in the GATT Archive that would enable me trace this history.

Answer: Thanks for contacting the GATT archive. Here are a few angles to explore in order to trace that history.

• Basic instruments and selected documents (BISD). BISD is "the official, one-stop source for documents pertaining to the operation and scope of the World Trade Organization (WTO)" and to the GATT before that. BISD is available in many academic libraries and for purchase through the WTO online bookshop. WTO is making efforts to digitize their historic documents, so you may also find documents of interest in the WTO online documents archive.
• Many politicians write memoirs after they retire. You could find out who were the top negotiators on the TRIPS agreement and search in http://worldcat.org or in your local library catalog to see if any of them wrote memoirs.
• The following links may also give you some more scholarly resources for your research:
  • Worldcat search on TRIPS
  • IDEAS Bibliographic database dedicated to Economics
  • Social Science Research Network (SSRN)