Protecting Traditional Knowledge of Plants

According to a report by the United Nations University, current international law forces indigenous peoples to put their traditional knowledge, often carefully guarded by cultural ritual, into the public domain.

National patent agencies require access to the traditional knowledge to make the determination whether products are in fact new or a part of the customary uses of indigenous peoples. The UNU report looks at the issue and proposes policy changes to protect the heritage of native cultures.

Links:

• Traditional knowledge in peril from BBC News


• The Role of Registers and Databases in the Protection of Traditional Knowledge (PDF), a United Nations University report

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:45 PM on May 21, 2004

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