This fascinating study describes efforts to define and protect traditional knowledge and the associated issues of access to genetic resources, from the negotiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity to The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Nagoya Protocol. Drawing on the expertise of local specialists from around the globe, the chapters judiciously mix theory and empirical evidence to provide a deep and convincing understanding of traditional knowledge, innovation, access to genetic resources, and benefit sharing. Because traditional knowledge was understood in early negotiations to be subject to a property rights framework, these often became bogged down due to differing views on the rights involved. New models, developed around the notion of distributive justice and self-determination, are now gaining favor. This book suggests - through a discussion of theory and contemporary case studies from Brazil, India, Kenya and Canada - that a focus on distributive justice best advances the interests of indigenous peoples while also fostering scientific innovation in both developed and developing countries. Comprehensive as well as nuanced, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge will be of great interest to scholars and students of law, political science, anthropology and geography. National and international policy makers and those interested in the environment, indigenous peoples' rights and innovation will find the book an enlightening resource. Contributors: T. Bubela, J. Carbone, R. Crookshanks, L. DeBusschere, G. Dutfield, E.R. Gold, D.S. Hik, A. Kumbamu, C. Lawson, C. Metcalf, S. Nickels, K. Nnadozie, P.W.B. Phillips, E.B. Rodrigues Jr, T. Williams, S. Zhang

In "Body Parts," E. Richard Gold examines whether the body and materials derived from it -- such as human organs and DNA -- should be thought of as market commodities and subject to property law. Analyzing a series of court decisions concerning property rights, Gold explores whether the language and assumptions of property law can help society determine who has rights to human biological materials.

Gold observes that the commercial opportunities unleashed by advances in biotechnology present a challenge to the ways that society has traditionally valued the human body and human health. In a balanced discussion of both commercial and individual perspectives, Gold asserts the need to understand human biological materials within the context of human values, rather than economic interests.

This perceptive book will be welcomed by scholars and other professionals engaged in questions regarding bioethics, applied ethics, the philosophy of value, and property and intellectual property rights. Given the international aspects of both intellectual property law and biotechnology, this book will be of interest throughout the world and especially valuable in common-law (most English-speaking) countries.

This fascinating study describes efforts to define and protect traditional knowledge and the associated issues of access to genetic resources, from the negotiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity to The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Nagoya Protocol. Drawing on the expertise of local specialists from around the globe, the chapters judiciously mix theory and empirical evidence to provide a deep and convincing understanding of traditional knowledge, innovation, access to genetic resources, and benefit sharing. Because traditional knowledge was understood in early negotiations to be subject to a property rights framework, these often became bogged down due to differing views on the rights involved. New models, developed around the notion of distributive justice and self-determination, are now gaining favor. This book suggests - through a discussion of theory and contemporary case studies from Brazil, India, Kenya and Canada - that a focus on distributive justice best advances the interests of indigenous peoples while also fostering scientific innovation in both developed and developing countries. Comprehensive as well as nuanced, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge will be of great interest to scholars and students of law, political science, anthropology and geography. National and international policy makers and those interested in the environment, indigenous peoples' rights and innovation will find the book an enlightening resource. Contributors: T. Bubela, J. Carbone, R. Crookshanks, L. DeBusschere, G. Dutfield, E.R. Gold, D.S. Hik, A. Kumbamu, C. Lawson, C. Metcalf, S. Nickels, K. Nnadozie, P.W.B. Phillips, E.B. Rodrigues Jr, T. Williams, S. Zhang