Protection of intellectual, biological & cultural property in Papua New Guinea

Intellectual property protection and development: The case of sustainable sea transport in Pacific Island countries

“…In this extract, all of the normative assumptions just identified are present: the intellectual property system (the only one) effectively promotes development, and it does so through developing and strengthening domestic creativity and innovation. This discourse does not take account of the fact that in most, if not all, least developed countries there are existing systems of intellectual property regulation (local, indigenous, informal, customary), and that these systems are currently responsible for large amounts of creativity and innovation, and the diffusion of intangible resources in particular ways (Coombe, ; Geismar, ; Green & Drescher, ; Halewood, ; Leach, ; Whimp & Busse, ). Rather, it is based on an assumption of absence and inferiority that needs to be overcome with assistance from the global North.…”

The traditional knowledge movement in the Pacific Island countries: the challenge of localism

“…The rich ethnographical literature pertaining to traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights in the region (see for example Special Issue 03 (2009); Sykes, et al, 2001;Mead and Ratuva, 2007;Hirsch andStrathern, 2004, Whimp andBusse, 2000), illustrates the degree to which traditional knowledge is embedded in the fabric of Pacific Island societies. Traditionally, and to varying extents across the region today, traditional knowledge played and plays a fundamental role in the traditional economy, social, political, religious and legal systems.…”