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Intellectual property rights long remained a matter dealt with in vague terms of general policy at international agricultural research centers (IARCs). This situation changed at the turn of the century, when intellectual property (IP) became an object of a major institution-building process at three centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). This article analyzes why and how policies were grounded and made operational in terms of new intellectual property structures and procedures. Focusing on initial developments at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), this analysis aims to make a strategic case and contribute towards an analytic framework for investigating institutional capacity for IP rights management by international organizations pursuing public missions.
