Assessing Intellectual Property Compliance in Contemporary China ― The World Trade Organisation and Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights

Since its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December 2001, China has been committed to full compliance with the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. This text considers the development of intellectual property in China, and offers an interdisciplinary analysis of China’s compliance with the TRIPS Agreement using theories originating in international relations and law. It notes that despite significant efforts to amend China’s substantive IP laws to prepare for WTO accession and sweeping changes to domestic legislation, a significant gap existed between the laws on paper and as enforced in practice, and that infringements to the agreement are still prevalent. 

The text and considers how compliance with international rules can be promoted and encouraged in a specific jurisdiction. Making a case for a wider, more interdisciplinary and global outlook, the book contends that compliance needs to align with the national interests of relevant countries and jurisdictions, as governments’ economic interests support the greater enforcement of the IP laws. 

Kristie Thomas is Senior Lecturer at Aston University, having gained her PhD from Nottingham University Business School in 2008. Her current research interests combine elements of law and business, reflecting her research interests in international trade and comparative law and business practice more generally. She has a particular interest in Asia, having spent two years based at Nottingham University’s China campus.