The TRIPs Agreement of the World Trade Organization aims to harmonize intellectual property protection among member countries, enhancing rights for many developing nations. However, the impact of these rights on innovation in developing countries remains underexplored. In the case of Mexico's maize breeding industry, findings reveal that stronger intellectual property rights did not significantly affect innovative activities. Surveys of breeders indicated varied perceptions and roles of intellectual property rights among different groups, contradicting the expectation that robust protections foster innovation in technologically advanced developing countries. At the macro level, intellectual property rights do influence innovation, but the factors driving innovation differ between industrialized and developing nations. In industrialized countries, the level of protection is endogenous, while in developing countries, it is not. The study identifies a sample selection problem and concludes that research and development investments influence intellectual property protection levels, not the other way around. This highlights the need for further research into the roles of patents, especially in developing contexts, and suggests a reevaluation of how innovation is measured, including non-technological innovations. Developing countries should focus on systems that promote the diffusion of information rather than succumbing to pressure
