What does the acronym “TRIPS” mean?
The acronym “TRIPS” refers to “trade–related intellectual property issues”. The TRIPS Agreement is part of the GATT-WTO system. It breaks new ground because it does not deal strictly with trade in goods. It fills the IPR gap within GATT by establishing minimum levels of protection for copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, patents, plant varieties, computer chip layout designs, and trade secrets. It couples these IPR protections with the requirement that WTO Members adopt effective enforcement mechanisms.
