In accepting to become Members of the WTO, States have committed themselves to respect the rules set out in certain agreements, including the TRIPS Agreement. In order to comply with these rules, each State is supposed to amend its legislation so that it conforms with the minimum rules laid down by the Agreement.

The industrialized countries, which mostly have a high level of protection of intellectual property already, have been allowed a period of transition* of one year to bring their intellectual property law completely into line with the rules of the TRIPS Agreement.