David Watson

David Watson is a doctoral candidate at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. He researches in the field of international trade and intellectual property law. He is a recipient of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship and the Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF).

David’s thesis examines the different approaches taken by countries to the protection of geographical indications in regional trade agreements. He is looking at whether countries are agreeing to provisions relating to the protection of food and drink product names that conflict with their other obligations and the implications for the multilateral trade system. 

Prior to starting a Ph.D., David worked as an international trade lawyer for the United Kingdom Government in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum. He advised on agricultural trade issues and negotiated trade agreements on behalf of the Government.

Supervisor:  Ljiljana Biuković

David J. Watson, “Lost in Transliteration: The Role of Interpretation in Resolving Regional Trade Agreement Conflicts Relating to Geographical Indications” (2024) 58:5 Journal of World Trade 847.

David J. Watson, “The Future of Geographical Indication Protection in Developing Countries – Is it the Answer to Rural Development, Food Security and More?” in Graham Reynolds, Alexandra Mogyoros & Teshager Dagne, eds, IP’s Futures (University of Ottawa Press, forthcoming 2024).