Access to knowledge has become critical to the debate on the future of patenting and Intellectual Property (IP) and this scenarios retreat seeks to map the diversity of the opinions about the key factors and challenges likely to impact the future of the IP regime.

This exploration exercise was intended to help stakeholders explore and build a deeper understanding of the forces that might shape global IP policy going forward.

Market Rules: a world where business is the dominant driver

Whose Game? a world where geopolitics is the dominant driver

Trees of Knowledge: a world where society is the dominant driver

Blue Skies: a world where technology is the dominant driver

The intended outcome of the exercise was a clearer understanding of how the A2K movement might evolve into the future, who the stakeholders might be and the dynamics and the issues between them. This information will be synthesised and set out in a confidential workshop report.

This retreat coincided with the third A2k3 Conference being held in Geneva September 8 - 10 2008.