<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">I have not been following the TRIPS discussions, so forgive me if I ask a question based on ignorance: Why shouldn't least developed countries be permitted to make their own individual decisions about whether and when they wish to adhere to the TRIPS rules? Would it be possible to allow each of them, individually, to decide when adherence would serve its interests?<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"><DIV>Aloha, George</DIV></DIV><DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Professor George Kent</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Department of Political Science</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">University of Hawai'i</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">USA</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Phone:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>1 808 396-9422</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Cell: <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>1 808 389-9422</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Fax:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>1 808 956-6877</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Email: <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><A href="mailto:kent@hawaii.edu">kent@hawaii.edu</A></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Website: <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><A href="http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kent">http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kent</A></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Skype ID: geokent</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">New book: <I>Freedom from Want: The Human Right to Adequate Food</I></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><A href="http://press.georgetown.edu/detail.html?id=1589010566">http://press.georgetown.edu/detail.html?id=1589010566</A></FONT></P> <BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>