FT: Five Hundred Signatures on Development Agenda

According to a September 30, 2004 article by the Financial Times, five hundred scientists, academics, legal experts and consumer advocates signed the so-called "Geneva Declaration on the Future of WIPO" saying that "a 'one size fits all' approach that embraces the highest levels of intellectual property protection intellectual property protection for everyone leads to unjust and burdensome outcomes for countries that are struggling to meet the most basic needs of their citizens." Supporters of this "development agenda" claim that, under pressure from industrialised nations, WIPO is giving undue weight to strengthening intellectual property rights at the expense of the public interest and other means of fostering innovation and creativity.