A vast amount of literature-both scholarly and popular-now exists on the subject of historical memory, but there is remarkably little available that is written from an African perspective. This volume explores the inner dynamics of memory in all its variations, from its most destructive and divisive impact to its remarkable potential to heal and reconcile. It addresses issues on both the conceptual and the pragmatic level and its theoretical observations and reflections are informed by first-hand experiences and comparative reflections from a German, Indian, and Korean perspective. Historical memory in an African context provides a rich kaleidoscope of the diverse experiences and perspectives-and yet there are recurring themes and similar conclusions, connecting it to a global dialogue to which it has much to contribute, but from which it also has much to receive.

Mamadou Diawara received his PhD from Ecole des Hautes Etudes, Paris and is Professor at the University of Frankfurt/Main. He specializes in anthropology and African history (oral history and the history of development).

Bernard C. Lategan is the founding Director of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. He studied classical languages, linguistics, literary theory, and theology at the Universities of the Free State, Stellenbosch and Kampen.

Jorn Rusen was President of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Institut in Essen (Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities at Essen) and is now Senior Fellow there and Professor emeritus of History and Historical Culture at the University of Witten-Herdecke.

A vast amount of literature-both scholarly and popular-now exists on the subject of historical memory, but there is remarkably little available that is written from an African perspective. This volume explores the inner dynamics of memory in all its variations, from its most destructive and divisive impact to its remarkable potential to heal and reconcile. It addresses issues on both the conceptual and the pragmatic level and its theoretical observations and reflections are informed by first-hand experiences and comparative reflections from a German, Indian, and Korean perspective. Historical memory in an African context provides a rich kaleidoscope of the diverse experiences and perspectives-and yet there are recurring themes and similar conclusions, connecting it to a global dialogue to which it has much to contribute, but from which it also has much to receive.

Mamadou Diawara received his PhD from Ecole des Hautes Etudes, Paris and is Professor at the University of Frankfurt/Main. He specializes in anthropology and African history (oral history and the history of development).

Bernard C. Lategan is the founding Director of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. He studied classical languages, linguistics, literary theory, and theology at the Universities of the Free State, Stellenbosch and Kampen.

Jorn Rusen was President of the Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut in Essen (Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities at Essen) and is Professor of History and Historical Culture at the University of Witten-Herdecke."

Africa is known for its multi-faceted immaterial culture, manifested in highly original music, oral texts, artistic performances and sporting events. These cultural expressions are increasingly regulated by intellectual property rights, as orally transmitted stories are written down, traditional songs broadcast and ownership claimed, and sporting activities once part of village life become national media events. This volume brings together an interdisciplinary team of legal experts, anthropologists and literary scholars to explore, from an African point of view, what happens to intangible cultural goods when they are confronted with large-scale commodification and distribution through media technologies, and globalized and divergent judicial systems, institutions and cultural norms. These transformations are observed in contexts that range from Senegalese wrestling contests to beauty pageants in Mali, from Kenyan hip-hop to the Nigerian novel, from the vuvuzela horn to Cameroonian masks. Contributors address the role of the state and the legacy of the European origination of IP laws, as well as the forms of ownership, technologies of mediation and degrees of commercialization that existed pre-colonially in different African societies. Resisting a single narrative of the imposition of a Western legal regime displacing older African modes, a more complex picture is revealed of the intricate interconnections between pirates, artists, communities, governments and international organizations. It is only when local actors embrace technologies and regulations in a specific historical situation that these become influential forces for change. The question raised is not whether international IP norms conform to African practices, nor whether media impose Western styles, but rather what local actors do with these regulations and how both local and Western practices and technologies impact on each other and co-exist. 'Intellectual property (IP) has become central to global governance but we have little idea of how this international legislation plays out on the ground. This pioneering book shows how local actors use IP rather than the other way around. A must-read for anyone interested in intellectual property.' Isabel Hofmeyr, Visiting Global Distinguished Professor, New York University; Professor of African Literature, University of the Witwatersrand 'A deeply engaging and evidence-rich analysis of the worlds into which intellectual property law, specifically copyright law, has entered in Africa and its effect on these worlds. This collection illustrates the best of what edited volumes can do: create a diverse, informed, and compelling conversation about a specific yet complex topic.' Dr. Hauke Dorsch, AMA African Music Archives, Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz

Africa is known for its multi-faceted immaterial culture, manifested in highly original music, oral texts, artistic performances and sporting events. These cultural expressions are increasingly regulated by intellectual property rights, as orally transmitted stories are written down, traditional songs broadcast and ownership claimed, and sporting activities once part of village life become national media events. This volume brings together an interdisciplinary team of legal experts, anthropologists and literary scholars to explore, from an African point of view, what happens to intangible cultural goods when they are confronted with large-scale commodification and distribution through media technologies, and globalized and divergent judicial systems, institutions and cultural norms. These transformations are observed in contexts that range from Senegalese wrestling contests to beauty pageants in Mali, from Kenyan hip-hop to the Nigerian novel, from the vuvuzela horn to Cameroonian masks. Contributors address the role of the state and the legacy of the European origination of IP laws, as well as the forms of ownership, technologies of mediation and degrees of commercialization that existed pre-colonially in different African societies. Resisting a single narrative of the imposition of a Western legal regime displacing older African modes, a more complex picture is revealed of the intricate interconnections between pirates, artists, communities, governments and international organizations. It is only when local actors embrace technologies and regulations in a specific historical situation that these become influential forces for change. The question raised is not whether international IP norms conform to African practices, nor whether media impose Western styles, but rather what local actors do with these regulations and how both local and Western practices and technologies impact on each other and co-exist.

States in sub-Saharan Africa, as anywhere else, are vested with the authority to implement laws and sanction their application. But in spite of a growing emphasis in Africa on participatory approaches to legislation, little research has focused on the extent to which the public has become involved in policy making and whether the state regulations that have been produced have proven publicly beneficial. Offering a new anthropological perspective, Competing Norms fills that gap by exploring how people in sub-Saharan Africa view new regulations in the light of preexisting local norms with which new regulations often compete. A collection of international, interdisciplinary contributors discusses the competing local, state, and international norms as they have evolved over time, unfolding the intricate ambivalences and contradictions that often characterize state regulations.