To *directly* strengthen patent rights, the aff must strengthen the patent office and/or implement international IP agreements domestically- fighting corruption and enhanced governance are *indirect* ways to enhance patent rights.
Lesser, Cornell applied economics and management professor, 11 (W. Lesser, Measuring Intellectual Property 'Strength' and Effects: An Assessment of Patent Scoring Systems and Causality, 4 J. Bus. Entrepreneurship & L. Iss. 2 (2011) Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/jbel/vol4/iss2/4https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=jbel Accessed 6/17/24)
The five case countries discussed above are sufficient only to establish that countries, given an incentive, can work to improve governance/reduce corruption which in turn strengthens patent rights and economic growth. There are alternative approaches to the same end, namely joining international IP agreements and strengthening the patent office.151 Both approaches increase the patent score. It is then an empirical question which is the more effective approach to increasing national incomes or growth. Of course by answering that question we are effectively also determining whether stronger IP rights lead to - cause - economic growth, or if economic growth also raises IP rights, or reverse causality. Of the two approaches identified, the one involving joining international conventions and/or strengthening the patent office is clearly the direct one focused specifically on patent rights. If countries which use that approach are more economically successful then it can reasonable be concluded enhanced IP leads to higher incomes and growth. That is, there is no strong argument that growth per se leads countries to invest in their patent offices so when countries do, and grow, it can reasonably be concluded that the improvement caused the economic growth. Conversely, if enhanced governance/reduced corruption leads to the growth, that is an indirect way to enhance patent rights through improved enforcement while simultaneously strengthening other government sectors. Thus, growth led by enhancing the governance process is the causal factor, and strengthened patent systems is one indirect factor in that growth; governance leads to growth and to an improved patent system. Enhanced governance is both the more complex and encompassing reform so it can be expected that countries which implement that approach are more successful, rapidly growing/ higher income ones.