Intellectual Property and Aboriginal People:
A Working Paper

This paper outlines current Canadian intellectual property legislation as it relates to Aboriginal people in Canada, touching on the implications and limitations of such legislation for protecting the traditional knowledge of Aboriginal people.

The material herein is presented as a guide and as a basis for discussion of issues relating to intellectual property, traditional knowledge and Aboriginal people.

• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Aboriginal Perspectives
• Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property
• Protecting Traditional Knowledge Within an Aboriginal Community
• Sharing Traditional Knowledge With Others
• Guidelines and Codes of Conduct
• Statutory Options
• Legal Agreements and Contracts
• IP Protection of Indigenous Knowledge
• Ownership
• Nature of Rights
• Criteria for Protection
• Scope of Protection
• Duration
• Registration Costs
• Enforcement
• International Protection
• IP Rules in an Aboriginal Context
• Copyright
• Neighbouring Rights
• Industrial Designs
• Trade-marks
• Patents
• Trade Secrets
• Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR)
• Licensing Intellectual Property
• Conclusion
• Information Sources

Intellectual Property and Aboriginal People: A Working Paper (PDF 510 Kb) in PDF format.

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