Compulsory licenses (CLs) are widely recognised as one of the flexibilities of the Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement. As the access to medicines debate has progressed over the years,
it has been argued by some that widespread use of CLs could significantly help to alleviate the access crisis in the
developing world. However, undermining the effectiveness of patents via CLs would not help to address the access
crisis. If anything, widespread compulsory licensing could exacerbate access problems, as well as undermine the
much needed R&D into new vaccines and therapies that society relies on the private sector to undertake.