# Plain Language Summary: No Free TRIPS Act

This bill would prevent the President from making changes to an international trade agreement about intellectual property rights without first getting permission from Congress. The agreement in question is called TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), which is a worldwide set of rules that protects things like patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Right now, the President has some flexibility to negotiate changes to international trade agreements, but this bill would require the President to get explicit Congressional approval before even starting negotiations to withdraw from, suspend, modify, or waive any part of the TRIPS agreement.

The practical effect is that it gives Congress a veto power over any major changes to how the U.S. handles intellectual property protections in international trade. This matters because TRIPS affects how medicines, software, music, movies, and other creative works are protected across different countries. For example, if there were a global health emergency and someone wanted to negotiate a waiver to allow countries to make cheaper generic versions of patented medicines without permission, this bill would require Congress to approve that negotiation first. The bill essentially shifts decision-making power from the President's office to Congress when it comes to this particular trade agreement.

No Free TRIPS Act

No Free TRIPS Act This bill prohibits the U.S. government from negotiating or concluding any withdrawal from or modification to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) without explicit authorization from Congress. The TRIPS Agreement is one of several international agreements that led to the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In October 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several WTO members proposed a waiver of some TRIPS obligations, including obligations related to national patent laws.