WTO Safety Net Ends: Compulsory Licensing at Risk for Developing Nations

• The 14th Ministerial Conference (MC-14) of the WTO in Cameroon ended the safeguard against non-violation complaints under TRIPS.
• This removes a safety net in place since 1995, which protected developing countries' policy space in public health.
• GTRI's Founder Ajay Shrivastava warns that WTO-compliant measures like compulsory licensing can now be challenged by developed countries.
• India faces increased dispute risk over intellectual property rules, including Section 3(d) of its patent law, which curbs evergreening.
• MC-14 ran out of time on several issues, including non-violation complaints under TRIPS, despite efforts by trade ministers.