Intellectual Property and Human Rights: Is a Balance Possible?

The intellectual property regime influences almost every sphere of economic life, having a significant impact on the protection and promotion of human rights. This book offers a view of the long-standing issue concerning an intellectual property definition; of its historical origins and evolutions; and of its fundamental fields of protection. The book looks at the relationship between intellectual property and human rights that have long been treated in virtual isolation from each other. It investigates the fundamental international and regional provisions that have created an intersection between human rights law and intellectual property regimes, including the most relevant legal instruments.