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Simple English definitions for legal terms
TRIPS
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A quick definition of TRIPS:
TRIPS: A treaty that helps countries protect the rights of people who create things like inventions, music, and art. It makes sure that everyone is treated fairly and that people can't copy or steal someone else's ideas without permission. More than 130 countries follow this treaty. It also changed some rules about patents, which are special rights that inventors get to protect their ideas.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: TRIPS stands for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. It is a treaty that harmonizes and strengthens the intellectual-property laws of its signatories by linking the obligation to protect the intellectual-property rights of other members' citizens with a mechanism for settling international trade disputes.
TRIPS was negotiated at the 1994 Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). More than 130 nations are parties to the agreement.
In the field of patents, TRIPS standardized patentable subject matter to include medicines, required testing for nonobviousness and utility, protected patentees from infringing imports, and all but eliminated compulsory licenses.
For example, TRIPS changed patent terms to 20 years from the date of application, rather than 17 years from the date of issue. It also widened the definition of infringement to cover offering for sale and importing. These changes helped to protect the intellectual-property rights of inventors and creators.
Articles 1–8 of TRIPs include the basic principles of national treatment and most-favoured-nation treatment. That is, each Member must give to the nationals of other Members treatment no less favourable than that given to its own nationals, and must give to the nationals of all Members the same privileges as are given to the nationals of any Member. Thus, subject to certain exemptions, bilateral agreements between Members should no longer be permitted.
Overall, TRIPS helps to ensure that intellectual-property rights are protected and respected around the world, which is important for promoting innovation and creativity.