Trapped in China's Shadow: Intellectual Property Protection in a Post-WTO-Accession Russia
Boston College International & Comparative Law Review, Forthcoming
36 Pages Posted: 3 Oct 2012
Date Written: April 6, 2012
Abstract
IP owners decry that their copyrights and trademarks are routinely infringed in the Russian market, with little possibility for relief. Russia's recent accession to the WTO means that its laws must conform to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property, in theory helping to safeguard foreign intellectual property. However, skeptics note that China, another recent accession, continues to overlook much IP infringement despite the TRIPS Agreement and WTO Dispute Settlement Body actions against it. This paper analyzes similarities and differences between attitudes towards IP, economic goals, and state economic involvement in Russia and China to predict whether the World Trade Organization will actually improve IP enforcement in Russia.
Keywords: Russia, China, World Trade Organization, TRIPS Agreement, Intellectual Property
JEL Classification: K33, F13
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation