Box 3.

Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Regional Waiver, 2003.

The ‘WTO August 30th Decision’ of 2003 created a regional waiver that allows exports under a compulsory license, without quantity restrictions, among countries that belong to a regional economic community (REC) of which at least half of the members are LDCs. Most RECs in Africa have a majority of LDC members. While LDCs of these RECs may continue to make use of the special LDC waiver, developing countries of RECs can issue compulsory licenses to locally produce or import generics and export or re-export, without quantity restrictions, within the REC, to harness economies of scale [59].