WIPO-UNEP Study on the Role of Intellectual Property Rights in the Sharing of Benefits Arising from the Use of Biological Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge

This publication is part of a series of studies dealing with intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions/folklore. It reflects years of cooperation between the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to ensure that environmental policy and intellectual property policy are developed in a coordinated and mutually supportive manner. It is intended to identify and explore the role of intellectual property rights in the sharing of benefits arising from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, which is well illustrated by three case studies in Nigeria, Mali and India in the field of traditional medicine and agriculture. The study was prepared by the coordinator of the Honeybee Network, an association of 25,000 grassroot innovators and traditional knowledge holders in 75 countries, Professor Anil K. Gupta.