International Copyright Flexibilities for Prevention, Treatment and Containment of COVID-19

Most policymaking attention with respect to intellectual property barriers toCOVID-19 prevention, treatment and containment has been focused on patents.This focus is reflected in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Decisionon TRIPS Agreement, adopted 17 June 2022, which provides a limited waiverof rules compulsory licences for production of COVID-19 vaccines. Theoriginal WTO proposal waiver, however, explicitly applied all formsof property, including copyright. This article outlines numerous waysin copyright can create addressing COVID-19. It also adescription international treaty provisions that permit uses copyrightmaterials response identified, despite exclusion copyrightfrom final waiver.