Indigenous Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights in a New Age

Abstract

Concerns have persisted about the state of Indigenous knowledge and intellectual property rights of Indigenous people in the digital age. Central to the debate is the ownership and preservation of Indigenous knowledge, art, craft and traditional practices, as well as respect for the cultural expressions of Indigenous people. In the age of new technologies, there are reasons why Indigenous people should be concerned about the extent to which information and communication technologies allow them to express themselves without undermining their rights to protect their land rights, art, craft, sacred sites and other traditional cultural practices, including their rights to ownership of their intellectual property. Essentially, globalisation has thrown up a challenge to Indigenous people. On one hand, globalisation has facilitated transformations in technology, aviation, telephony and the World Wide Web that have not only brought together Indigenous people across the world but have also increased the profile and prominence of Indigenous people.