This book concerns the often fractious interface between drug discovery and commercialisation, environmental degradation, the biodiversity crisis, the exploitation of indigenous peoples and the destruction of their culture, the right to health, inequalities of power, and the ability of the law to protect knowledge. For millennia, medicinal plants have provided a trove of treatments for human ailments, and the key to that treasure has been the traditional knowledge of the indigenous peoples who have lived alongside these plants. More recently that knowledge has been taken, often without consent or recompense, by Western science as a springboard for the development of pharmaceutical agents. As a response to threats to biodiversity and indigenous culture, international mechanisms have created, or are creating, enforceable rights for indigenous peoples to control such knowledge. With a background in pharmacology and molecular biology and significant experience as a lawyer in pharmaceutical and biotech patent litigation, the author brings a fresh perspective to understanding the difficulties of enforcing such rights and, in particular, examines whether there is a philosophically justifiable limit to the downstream scope of such rights. This book is aimed at all those with an interest in the control of indigenous genetic knowledge and the protection of indigenous culture, whether academics, anthropologists or pharmaceutical researchers, and those seeking to make indigenous rights work, as activists, legislators or practising lawyers.

Since the Intangible Heritage Convention was adopted by UNESCO in 2003, intangible cultural heritage has increasingly been an important subject of debate in international forums. As more countries implement the Intangible Heritage Convention, national policymakers and communities of practice have been exploring the use of intellectual property protection to achieve intangible cultural heritage safeguarding outcomes. This book examines diverse cultural heritage case studies from Indigenous communities and local communities in developing and industrialised countries to offer an interdisciplinary examination of topics at the intersection between heritage and property which present cross-border challenges. Analysing a range of case studies which provide examples of traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and genetic resources by a mixture of practitioners and scholars from different fields, the book addresses guidelines and legislation as well as recent developments about shared heritage to identify a progressive trend that improves the understanding of intangible cultural heritage. Considering all forms of intellectual property, including patents, copyright, design rights, trade marks, geographical indications, and sui generis rights, the book explores problems and challenges for intangible cultural heritage in crossborder situations, as well as highlighting positive relationships and collaborations among communities across geographical boundaries. Transboundary Heritage and Intellectual Property Law: Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage will be an important resource for practitioners, scholars, and students engaged in studying intangible cultural heritage, intellectual property law, heritage studies, and anthropology.

We know much more about the global politics of intellectual property than we do about national political contests over the ownership of knowledge. Haunss and Shadlen have identified this gap in the literature and have done a fine job of bringing together a set of essays that helps to fill this gap in our understanding of the multi-layered nature of intellectual property politics. Peter Drahos, The Australian National University, Canberra This thought-provoking volume provides invaluable new insights and is a major contribution to the debate on the politics of intellectual property rights. Duncan Matthews, Queen Mary, University of London, UK This book offers empirical analyses of conflicts over the ownership, control, and use of knowledge and information in developed and developing countries. Sebastian Haunss and Kenneth C. Shadlen, along with a collection of eminent contributors, focus on how business organizations, farmers, social movements, legal communities, state officials, transnational enterprises, and international organizations shape IP policies in areas such as health, information-communication technologies, indigenous knowledge, genetic resources, and many others. The innovative and original chapters examine conflicts over the rules governing various dimensions of IP, including patents, copyrights, traditional knowledge, and biosafety regulations. Written from a political perspective, this book is a must-read for political scientists, sociologists and anthropologists who study IP and conflicts over property. It is also an essential read for stakeholders in institutions, NGOs and industry interested in knowledge governance and IP politics.

This Handbook brings together scholars from around the world in addressing the global significance of, controversies over and alternatives to intellectual property (IP) today. It brings together over fifty of the leading authors in this field across the spectrum of academic disciplines, from law, economics, geography, sociology, politics and anthropology. This volume addresses the full spectrum of IP issues including copyright, patent, trademarks and trade secrets, as well as parallel rights and novel applications. In addition to addressing the role of IP in an increasingly information based and globalized economy and culture, it also challenges the utility and viability of IP today and addresses a range of alternative futures.

Published to coincide with the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, UN Environment's sixth Global Environment Outlook calls on decision makers to take bold and urgent action to address pressing environmental issues in order to protect the planet and human health. By bringing together hundreds of scientists, peer reviewers and collaborating institutions and partners, the GEO reports build on sound scientific knowledge to provide governments, local authorities, businesses and individual citizens with the information needed to guide societies to a truly sustainable world by 2050. GEO-6 outlines the current state of the environment, illustrates possible future environmental trends and analyses the effectiveness of policies. This flagship report shows how governments can put us on the path to a truly sustainable future - emphasising that urgent and inclusive action is needed to achieve a healthy planet with healthy people. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.