Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights : Legal Obstacles and Innovative Solutions

Offers case studies to guide indigenous communities and their partners in protecting their intellectual property. This title addresses the poor fit between western regimes of intellectual property rights and the requirements for safeguarding indigenous cultural resources. It describes positive efforts at protecting indigenous knowledge.

Riley and her group of expert contributors supply a unique set of worldwide case studies and policy analyses as guidance for indigenous communities and their partners, in attempting to protect their intellectual property. Much of the existing literature already addresses the poor fit between western regimes of intellectual property rights and the requirements for safeguarding indigenous cultural resources. The manuscript gets beyond these negative claims in depicting positive efforts at protecting indigenous knowledge and cultures, notwithstanding these legal limitations. The reader is exposed to a wide array of legal, political, organizational, and contractual strategies deployed by indigenous groups to protect their intellectual property interests. It will be an important resource for social scientists, advocates for indigenous and human rights, bioprospecting, indigenous leaders, NGOs and law libraries.