The WTO deals elaborately with rights of traders.
It is mostly silent about the obligations of the traders.
What if a patented product messes up the environment and the patentee has perished into the dust or is untraceable? Who exactly is responsible for the mess? We today find that the ENRON mess is sought to be cleared with funds from LIC and EPF. The mess by DDT and other "US Patents" could hardly be seen as "innovative steps" - they were just innovative in causing new kinds of cancers and seriously injuring the natural food cycle that is not easy to repair.
The monopolisation by non-free software companies threatens education and the moral values we have.
Janet McLean, Faculty of Law, University of Auckland, New Zealand, delivered the "George P. Smith, II Distinguished Visiting Professorship Lecutre" at Indiana University School of Law, USA on the subject of "The Transnational Corporation in History: Lessons for Today?" which is avilable online at:
http://www.law.indiana.edu/ilj/v79/no2/mclean.pdf "If we start with the notion that corporations are created by states or by the operation of law, that they are abstract persons, then we will be more likely to find a space at least to talk about what a corporation's obligations should be."
The responsibility and obligations of transnational corporations is yet to be investigated, researched and found out. Then, the WTO is clearly an irresponsible regime, incomplete without answers, and it cannot be shamelessly pushing forward the private interests of a few multinational corporations who could vanish into the thin air at wish.
Other links to ponder upon:
http://www.healthgap.org/press_releases/05/030104_HGAP_AA_INDIA_IPR.html The plea from Africa, asking India not to proceed with the amendments to the patents law, is heart rending, and we should hold a helping hand, even if it means that bombs may rain over us this monsoon. There is no much of a choice here: many are waiting to "out-source pharmaceutical" research to India - in plain English many poor Indians would end up being used as guniea pigs for "research" - and the wonderful products could be safely "protected" through our legal system itself - what convenience!
http://www.expresspharmapulse.com/20050317/happenings05.shtml William (Bill) Haddad addressed the members of the Press on the ills of the current Patent Ordinance and rules. He also had a word of caution for the Government of India, the people of India and the national sector pharma Industry not to bow to the MNC pressure and to learn from the pitfalls of the US Patent laws and the problems faced by the people due to the same.