Databases, Disclosure, or Both? Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources Protection Strategies at the Intergovernmental Committee

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WIPO delegates at the Intergovernmental Committee. (Photo: WIPO)

In its mission to protect traditional knowledge and genetic resources as classes of intellectual property, the Intergovernmental Committee has produced two distinct solutions: a one-click clearing house database, and a mandatory patent source disclosure requirement.  Each strategy has a different group of countries supporting it.  And each strategy has perceived weaknesses that its opponents readily and repeatedly point out.

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The Intergovernmental Committee: A Brief Overview

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WIPO delegates at the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore. (Photo: WIPO)

The Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (commonly referred to as simply “the [Intergovernmental] Committee” or “the I.G.C.”) is a department of the World Intellectual Property Organization (W.I.P.O.).  Its mandate is to draft, negotiate, and implement formal international text-based legal structures that protect the authors and rights-holders of traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and genetic resources from having these categories of intellectual property exploited or otherwise misused by outside parties.

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