Exhaustion

Exhaustion and the GATT Policy Negotiations

In relation to the GATT Policy Negotiations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following explanation and/or definition of Exhaustion: Refers to the doctrine that protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) is “exhausted” or confined to the country in which protection is granted. The exhaustion principle specifically implies that IPR holders may not seek to curb parallel imports from other countries. In Uruguay Round IPR negotiations, some LDCs have demanded international extension of the exhaustion principle in order to ensure access to industrial- country markets for goods they produce under license.