Enhancing Intellectual Property Exports through Fair Trade

In one of the new series of case studies compiled in "Poor People's Knowledge: Promoting Intellectual Property in Developing Countries," Ron Layton concludes in "Enhancing Intellectual Property Exports through Fair Trade" that IP exports are attractive for increasing export revenue to poor countries because of open markets and better profit margins than for most agricultural or manufacturing options:

The development community needs to embrace the new challenge of uncovering the most effective ways in which to develop IP exports for maximum impact on poverty alleviation. The products exist and can be stimulated. The markets exist. The IP laws, although somewhat disadvantageous to developing countries, are available for enforcement in the developed markets. Fair trade interventions offer the needed model for market access and delivery systems that ensure that revenues from IP exports do alleviate poverty.