“Reap what you have not sown” Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Intellectual Property Laws in South Africa

George Sombe Mukuka

Description

The aim of this book is to analyse the current status of indigenous intellectual property rights protection in South Africa. The current intellectual property laws and legislations in South Africa do not fully protect indigenous knowledge systems and in some instances the indigenous knowledge is misappropriated, abused without proper recognition and acknowledgement of the custodian of this knowledge.The book suggests that in order for us to fully understand the developments of intellectual property in South Africa, we need to look at similar developments in the United States and Australia. Using conceptual tools dealing with post-colonial, contested culture and legal theories such as the natural-law and the economic model, the book tries to analyse the current predicament: how can one possibly marry indigenous property rights and the western legal frameworks in a practical and ethical way?About the editor:George Sombe Mukuka holds two PhD degrees; in History from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and in Archaeology from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Sujets

• Economie
• développement
• Politics
• Relations internationales
• Développement
• Géopolitique

Informations

• Publié par: PULP (Pretoria University Law Press)
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780986985744
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Theaimofthisbookistoanalysethecurrentstatusof   indigenousintellectualpropertyrightsprotectioninSouthAfrica. ThecurrentintellectualpropertylawsandlegislationsinSouthAfricadonot fullyprotectindigenousknowledgesystemsandinsomeinstancesthe   indigenousknowledgeismisappropriated,abusedwithoutproper   recognitionandacknowledgementofthecustodianofthisknowledge.

Thebooksuggeststhatinorderforustofullyunderstandthedevelopments ofintellectualpropertyinSouthAfrica,weneedtolookatsimilar   developmentsintheUnitedStatesandAustralia.Usingconceptualtools   dealingwithpost-colonial,contestedcultureandlegaltheoriessuchasthe   natural-lawandtheeconomicmodel,thebooktriestoanalysethecurrent   predicament:howcanonepossiblymarryindigenouspropertyrightsand   thewesternlegalframeworksinapracticalandethicalway?

GeorgeSombeMukukaPDhdgeerse;owtsdloh   inHistoryfromtheUniversityofKwaZulu-Natal   andinArchaeologyfromtheUniversityofthe   Witwatersrand.Hehasworkedinresearch   managementattheNationalResearchFoundation   (NRF),theUniversityofJohannesburg(UJ)andan   NGOknownasTraditionalKnowledgeDevelop- mentAgency(TKDA)astheChiefExecutiveOfficer. Hehasalsoheldseveralprestigiousvisitingfellow- shipsatvariousuniversitiessuchasVisitingFellow   intheHistoryProgrammeattheAustralianNatio- nalUniversity(ANU),Canberra,Australia;Project   LukeFellowrunbytheDictionaryofAfrican   ChristianBiography(DACB)affiliatedtotheOver- seasMinistriesStudyCentre(OMSC)andYale   DivinitySchool,YaleUniversity,NewHaven,Con- necticut,USAandVisitingFellowintheHistory   DepartmentatFlindersUniversityinAdelaideSA,   Australia.CurrentlyheisaResearchAssociateat   theRockArtResearchInstitute(RARI),Universityof   theWitwatersrand,Johannesburg,SouthAfrica.   Hisworkfocusesonindigenoushistory,indigenous   knowledgesystemsandintellectualpropertylaws.

PretoriaUniversityLawPress PULP ww.pulp.up.ac.za ISBN 978-0-9869857-4-4

“Reap

whatyouhavenotsown” GeorgeSombeMukuka

IndigenousKnowledgeSystems& IntellectualPropertyLawsinSouthAfrica “Re a p w hat you have not GeorgeSombeMukuka s o w n ”

PULP

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

1

“Reap what you have not sown”

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

2

George Sombe Mukuka holds two PhD degrees; in History from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and in Archaeology from the University of the Witwaters- rand. He has worked in research management at the National Research Foundation (NRF), the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and an NGO known as Traditional Knowledge Development Agency (TKDA) as the Chief Executive Officer. He has also held several prestigious visiting fellowships at various universities such as Visiting Fellow in the History Programme at the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, Australia; Project Luke Fellow run by the Dictionary of African Christian Biography (DACB) affiliated to the Overseas Ministries Study Centre (OMSC) and Yale Divinity School, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA and Visiting Fellow in the History Department at Flinders University in Adelaide SA, Australia. Currently he is a Research Associate at the Rock Art Research Institute (RARI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. His work focuses on indigenous history, indigenous knowledge systems and intellectual property laws.

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

3

“Reap what you have not sown”

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Intellectual Property Laws in South Africa

George Sombe Mukuka

With a foreword by Mzamo P. Mangaliso (Fellow and Past President, Eastern Academy of Management, USA; Former President and CEO, National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and Professor in the Isenberg School of Management)

Pretoria University Law Press PULP 2010

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

To the voiceless indigenous communities

and practitioners of South Africa.

Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to:  Dr Ben Smith, for his expert guidance, encouragement and comments.  Ms Anne Stern, for her expert legal guidance, encouragement, profes- sional advice and all the hours generously spent, which made this research exciting in the end.  Arthur Champkins of Himeville in KwaZulu-Natal, for assistance in editing the final manuscript.  All members of my family, for their endless patience, support and encouragement.

This publication has been peer-reviewed and recommended for publication by national and international scholars in Intellectual Property Law and Archaeology.

The book is a revised version of a PhD thesis submitted to the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand in 2009.

The publication of this book has been financially supported by the Technikon Witwatersrand Research Fund, University of Johannesburg and the National Research Foundation (NRF).

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

4

“Reap what you have not sown” Copyright © 2010 George Sombe Mukuka

First edition, first impression 2010 Typography & Design: Hond CC

ISBN 978-0-9869857-4-4

All rights reserved by the author. No parts of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the expressed permission, in writing, of the publisher.

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

Contents

Abbreviations — 9 Foreword — 11

Chapter one:Introduction — 15 1.1 Indigenous knowledge systems — 15 1.2 Intellectual Property Laws of South Africa — 18 1.3 Aim of the study — 22 1.4 Conclusions — 34

Chapter two:— 35Conceptual framework 2.1 Conceptual framework — 35 2.2 Orientalism as a way of describing postcolonialism — 35 2.3 Contested Cultures — 40 2.4 The natural law theory — 43 2.5 The Economic Philosophy — 49 2.6 The use of the theories — 51 2.7 Conclusions — 52

Chapter three— 55The role of indigenous knowledge in South Africa The Hoodia(Hoodia gordonii)and the African Potato (Hypoxis rooperii) 3.1 Introduction: a need for protection — 55 3.2 TheHoodia gordonii— 57 3.3 The Africa Potato (Hypoxis rooperii65) — 3.4 Conclusions — 101

Chapter four— 103Divergent approaches to indigenous communities The legal regimes of the United States and Australia 4.1 Introduction — 103 4.2 The need for protection of Native American graves — 104 4.3 The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) — 110 4.4 Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) Project in Australia — 121 4.5 Conclusions — 133

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

5

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

Chapter fiveIntellectual Property Laws in South Africa — 137 5.1 Introduction — 137 5.2 South Africa’s intellectual property system — 137 5.3 International obligations — 158 5.4 Intellectual property advisory committee — 158 5.5 International practice in protecting indigenous knowledge systems — 166 5.6 Other relevant legislations — 170 5.7 In terms of the Acts and legislations – scope of protection — 178 5.8 Conclusion — 190

Chapter SixThe Protection of Indigenous Knowledge through the Intellectual Property System:Policy and Bill (2007)— 193 6.1 Introduction — 193 6.2 The Protection of Indigenous Knowledge through the Intellectual Property System: A Policy Framework (2007) — 194 6.3 Protection using the intellectual property system of South Africa — 195 6.4 Conclusions — 207

Chapter Seven— 209Way forward 7.1 Introduction — 209 7.2 The theories which informed this study — 210 7.3 Protection of indigenous knowledge systems under current intellectual property laws — 212 7.4 Broader issues with regard to forms of protection of indigenous knowledge systems — 216 7.5 Areas to be addressed in indigenous property right protection — 219 7.6 Input from some international legal systems — 221 7.7 Ways of protecting indigenous property — 222

References — 225 Appendix — 234

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

6

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

Table 1: Table 2: Table 3: Table 4: Table 5: Table 6: Table 7:

Table 8: Table 9: Table 10:

Table 11: Table 12:

Table 13:

Table 14: Table 15:

Table 16: Table 17: Table 18: Table 19:

Table 20:

Table 21:

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

List of tables Summary of questionnaire – 75 The respondents to the questionnaire – 76 Key Zulu/Xhosa words used in questionnaire – 77 Products sold and which one sell the most? – 78 Division of products and services offered by traditional healers – 79 Products that have been converted to pill/tablet/capsule – 81 Responses from the questionnaire as to whether or not the respondents knew any traditional medicines which had been converted to a pill/tablet/capsule? – 82 What do you know about the African potato? – 84 Types of uses for the African potato – 85 Ancient use of African potato/Benefit to communities/ Should government do something about it? – 87 Ancient use of African potato? (from table 10, column 1) – 88 Are communities benefiting from the medicinal plant which have been converted to pill/tablet/capsule? (from table 10, column 2) – 90 If you do not benefit from the conversions should government do something about it? (from table 10, column 3) – 91 Rituals and ceremonies: planting and harvesting African potato – 94 Are there any indigenous laws protecting plants/Rules when harvesting/ Any other comments? – 95 Sample I: Responses to the questionnaire – 97 Sample II: Responses to the questionnaire – 98 Sample III: Responses to the questionnaire – 99 Summary and Inventory Overview: What museums and Federal agencies must prepare – 115 Government departments dealing with IP protection South Africa – 157 Indigenous knowledge systems protection must take cognizance of the lived experience of indigenous communities – 224

7

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

List of graphs

Graph 1:

Graph 2:

Graph 3:

Graph 4:

Graph 5:

Graph 6:

Graph 7:

Graph 8:

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

What type of products do you sell? – 80

Have any products you know been converted to pills or capsule? – 83

What do you know about the African Potato? – 86

Does the African potato have any ancient usage in the communities? – 89

Are communities benefiting from medicinal plants which have been converted to pills? – 92

Do you think government should do something about it? – 92

Are there any laws in your community protecting these plants? – 96

Are there any rules/laws when planting or harvesting medicinal plants? – 99

8

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

Abbreviations

ABS AGM AIATSIS

AIDS ATSIC CBD CD4-T

CITES

CSIR DAC DACST DEAT DST DTI

GI HIV ICIP IDC IGC IKS IP IPR IRG

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

Access Benefit Sharing

Annual General Meeting

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission

Convention for Biological Diversity

A specific type of lymphocyte in thymus gland that plays

an important role in immunity

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

Department of Arts and Culture

Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Department of Science and Technology

Department of Trade and Industry

Geographical Indicators

Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Project

The Inter-Departmental Committee

Intergovernmental Committee

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property Right

The Indigenous Reference Group

9

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM

ITPGRFA MTA NAGPRA

NDA NEMA NGO NHR RSH&CC SA SADC SAHG SCA TCE THRHR TIP TRIPS UNCTAD UNEP UNESCO

UPOV WHC WIMSA WTO

00 Prelims 02 NEW.pmd

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources

Material Transfer Agreements

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

The National Department of Agriculture

National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA)

Non-Governmental Organisation

National Heritage Resources Act, no. 25 of 1999

Regional San Heritage and Culture Committee

South Africa

Southern African Development Community

South African Hoodia Growers

Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa

Traditional Cultural Expressions

Tydskrif vir Hedendaagse Romeins-Hollandse Reg

Traditional Intellectual Property

Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

United Nations Environment Programme

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants

World Heritage Convention Act, no. 49 of 1999

Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa

World Trade Organisation

1

0

11/9/2010, 9:15 AM