earticle

영어

The traditional knowledge("TK") and practices of indigenous and local communities that are developed and passed on through traditional culture are closely linked to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. But there is no protection for the traditional knowledge obtained by indigenous or local communities, usually from developing countries, through collective processes that may have taken even centuries. Advocates for conventional intellectual property systems argue that intellectual property rights create effective incentives for innovative use of biodiversity, which in turn creates profits on which innovators can draw in negotiating benefit-sharing arrangements with the holders of traditional knowledge and biodiversity. Nowadays, the implications of conventional intellectual property systems for traditional knowledge and biodiversity have been the subject of a polarized international debate. Traditional knowledge includes a vast and complex amount of manifestations. This article, nonetheless, will deal exclusively with TK related to genetic resources. Its protection from the perspective of the framework of multilateral treaties, the possible protection through existing intellectual property rights and the search for an alternative solution. This article has sought to suggest how Intellectual Property system could be a tool to protect traditional knowledge.