The establishment of a global multilateral trading system moderated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is in apparent tension with the proliferation of regional trade arrangements. A significant feature of these regional arrangements is the proposal to establish harmonised regional intellectual property systems. This intellectual property harmonisation may well operate to reconcile the countervailing strains of globalisation and regionalisation of trade. This article examines the coordination of intellectual property in regional trade arrangements in Europe, Asia and North and South America. Specifically, the article examines the intellectual property regimes of the European Union, the Central European Free Trade Agreement, the Association of South East Asian Nations and the North American Free Trade Association.