Disagreement over TRIPS issues did not cause the “collapse” on July 29, 2008 of the Mini-Ministerial talks at the WTO.  Because the talks foundered for other reasons, we do not know what “might have happened” on the TRIPS front had typical pressures associated with reaching a package conclusion been brought to bear. Continuing strong disagreement over the substantive issues in TRIPS channeled Mini-Ministerial talks on IP-related issues toward the “process” through which an agreement might be reached.