Rhetoric for Access

Abstract Bringing together the various threads of the book, the concluding chapter presents a comprehensive synthesis of the study. It notes that in the global unequal circumstances, the claim of the copyright regime being ‘balanced’ and ‘balanceable’ does not work in a practical sense. However, the public interest objectives given in the TRIPS Agreement are mostly construed to include public interest in accessing the knowledge. This interpretation, however, remains intellectual property-centric and views users’ access rights as an exception to it. This chapter emphasizes that a country may tailor the limitations and exceptions as per its local needs; however, final responsibility lies with the national courts, which have to interpret the provisions keeping in mind the country’s policy objectives.