Why don indigenous peoples patent traditional knowledge and products themselves?
Traditional knowledge is vital to the commercialization of life products and processes. While only one specimen in a collection of 10,000 random samples has identifiable commercial use, consultation with indigenous peoples doubles this success rate (i.e., to 1 in 5,000.) (NIH) However, the concept of indigenous peoples patenting their own knowledge, resources and products is virtually non-existent. Two key factors inhibit indigenous peoples’ use of patents: extremely high costs and, more significantly, cultural values. For indigenous peoples whose traditional values and lifestyle are rooted in communal living, shared resources, and the interdependence of all living things, patenting life is an anathema to the very value system upon which their culture is based. Patents are a tool of western societies and reflect values of private ownership and the pursuit of wealth, which are not paramount in indigenous cultures. 8. Why is Mexico, and particularly the state of Chiapas, so attractive to
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