Intellectual Property and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

The World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in article 7 states that the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs) "should contribute to the promotion of technological innovation and to the transfer and dissemination of technology, to the mutual advantage of producers and users of technological knowledge and in a manner conducive to social and economic welfare''. This article examines the developmental claims for IPRs in developing countries and least developed countries with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa.