As countries in the Asia-Pacific region, led by the powerhouses of China and India, continue to record year upon year of economic growth, their influence in global debates will only increase. This is also true in IP: as businesses in the region move from being copiers to innovators the greater their stake will be in the health of the global IP system and the more effort they will make to get their voice heard. This was shown in Managing IP's sixth annual list of the 50 most influential people in IP, which was published in July this year and featured a record number of people from the Asia-Pacific region.

Managing IP published its first Top 50 in 2003, and it featured 11 people from the Asia-Pacific region. From 2004 to 2007 the number of influential people from Asia-Pacific remained fairly steady: 10, 10, 7 and 11. This year the number has risen to 13. While an increase of only two people does not appear to show a decisive change, the entrants are now in key positions of power: Hong Kong's Margaret Chan is in charge of the World Health Organization – now making its voice heard on the issue of IP and access to medicines; Rhonda Steele, British by birth but a resident Australian, is in the middle of a successful year as president of INTA in which she helped organized a trade mark regatta in Sydney earlier this year; and fellow Australian Francis Gurry will take charge of WIPO in September, where he faces the challenge of trying to reinvigorate a troubled institution.

In addition to that powerful triumvirate, Tian Lipu and Li Qunying have shown the difference a determined and decisive individual can make to an IP-related government department, as have India's Naresh Prasad and Kapil Sibal. India was perhaps undervalued this year, with only two entrants in the top 50. With that country's influence set to increase, the voice of Asia-Pacific countries in IP debates, though not always united, is sure to grow stronger. The list also recognizes campaigners such as Jack Chang of General Electric and, on the other side, Jon Ungphakorn, a widely respected campaigner for greater access to medicines in Thailand.

The full list of 50, which (as ever) was hard to compile, aims to recognize a diverse range of people working in IP. Readers might think of other worthy people who have been left out (please write and let us know who they are) and some might object to those who have been included. But, as in previous years, our aim has been to inform and, occasionally, provoke: no one has paid to be included and there has been no formal voting process. The first 10 people are profiled in summary, while Kapil Sibal, Francis Gurry and Li Qunying, who made into the top 10 of the full list, are looked at in more detail.

Margaret Chan Director-general, World Health Organization

Appointed in January 2007, Margaret Chan was immediately plunged into the controversy over the Thai government's decision to issue compulsory licences for a range of expensive anti-AIDS and anti-cancer drugs. After a few initial missteps, Chan has learnt to tread the fine line between the multinational pharmaceutical companies and those who believe that access to medicines can only be achieved by limiting patent rights. Chan scored an important victory when the WHO's 61st World Health Assembly passed a resolution endorsing a global strategy on public health, innovation and intellectual property. The global strategy, first drafted in 2006, outlines guidelines and incentives to address public health needs in developing countries. It includes recommendations to find new ways of financing mechanisms to incentivize R&D and to provide support to governments for R&D, initiatives to promote technology transfer and collaborations between the public and private sectors. Both the director of the access to medicines programme for Médecins San Frontières and the Biotechnology Industry Organization were optimistic about the strategy – an impressive achievement. Now Chan needs to use her diplomatic skills to put the strategy into action.