This report has been prepared for the
Interconnections of trade in services and intellectual property are a significant factor for international trade regulation. Recognition of these linkages is the first step towards meaningful dialogue and evidence-based policy development.
Linkages exist because IP and services are frequently co-dependent:
Many services are IP-based: service providers are IP rights holders of innovative service systems/products or services are required for the supply of IP.
IP is services-based: rights holders are service providers supplying their innovative products to the market.
Trade in services and IP assets have various objectives making interpretation of the linkages contextual:
Economic purpose: IP and services intersect within services sectors in application to actual business models.
Regulatory purpose: IP and services interact within trade frameworks in international and domestic context, which do not necessarily correlate.
Linkages between IP and services affect trade relations. Take a look at case studies we have prepared to learn more:
Innovation is the lifeblood of economies. Cross‑sectoral dependencies in the governance of innovative and creative industries are often overlooked in trade negotiations. There are separate international agreements covering intellectual property rights and trade in services, yet the two are intrinsically linked.
This study started from an intuitive observation of a user‑producer linkage between IP rights holders and services providers. Production cycles are circular, reproducible, and often cross borders. Understanding these linkages is essential for developing coherent trade policy.
Acknowledgments
This project acknowledges the support of the New Zealand Centre for International Economic Law .