Which WTO agreement protects patents, trademarks and copyrights in international trade?

The TRIPS Agreement protects patents, trademarks and copyrights in international trade.

TRIPS stands for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. It was negotiated during the Uruguay Round and entered into force when the WTO began operating in 1995. It is the WTO’s principal agreement on intellectual property.

The agreement sets minimum standards for several forms of intellectual property, including copyright, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, patents and trade secrets. It also requires members to provide enforcement procedures and remedies.

TRIPS does not create one global patent or copyright registration. National and regional authorities still grant most rights under their own legal systems, while TRIPS establishes baseline obligations. Public-health provisions, including compulsory-licensing rules, became especially prominent after the 2001 Doha Declaration.