This paper is concerned with the strengthening of the international intellectual property regime following the introduction of the TRIPS agreement. Three interrelated issues are examined in regards to the strengthening of patent protection in developing countries using a dynamic hypothesis, taking into account some of the key feedback loops at the core of the problem. These issues are: (1) the effect of patents on biotechnology access, (2) the effect of patents on the appropriateness of technology for developing countries, and (3) the effect of patents on the biotechnology embedded in capital, or on the capability to innovate/learn. The results of the analysis show that the introduction of TRIPS may generate unintended side-effects, and the strengthening of patent protection, while perhaps a necessary condition to help foster biotechnology innovation in developing countries, may not be sufficient.