Intellectual property rights for developing countries: Lessons from Iran

Recent years have witnessed a heated debate about the need to overhaul the Iranian intellectual property system in both academic and policymaking circles. However, a close scrutiny of the debates reveals that a study offering a coherent account of the big pictures of the intellectual property (IP) system is still missing. This paper draws on various sources of information–extant literature, legislations, policy documents, official statements, expert commentaries, and interviews with officials–to craft a coherent account of the main features of the Iranian IP system. Emphasis will also be given to highlighting idiosyncrasies of the IP system and taking stock of the latest debates. Issues raised in this paper can hold important lessons for comparable developing countries.