Indigenous people control significant amounts of biological diversity and knowledge about that biodiversity. They are important sources of knowledge and resources. Deforestration and genetic erosion threaten these sources. While industrial countries have implemented intellectual property protection through legislation and regulation, these formulas are not easily extended to indigenous knowledge. This scholarly conference on the relations between intellectual property and indigenous knowledge will bring together both advocates and disinterested specialists to discuss topics covering the nature of intellectual property regimes and indigenous knowledge, the benefits and drawbacks of extending intellectual property, the interests involved, and alternative approaches to protecting the rights, knowledge, and biological resources of indigenous peoples. Thorough discussion of these themes requires participation from specialists on national and international policies and administration of biological resources, indigenous groups and advocates, users of biological resources, legal scholars familiar with indigenous rights issues and intellectual property, and ethnobotonists. The primary criteria in selecting participants are their familiarity with the issues and the expectation that they will contribute a significant scholarly paper on their topic. Papers commissioned from each of the 25 or so conference participants will be presented and circulated two months prior to the conference. After each presentation at the conference, two pre-assigned discussants will respond prior to open discussion. The six days will include three days of presentations and discussions, and two days for work group preparations of summary reports on the conference themes. One day will be devoted to a final plenary session and conference closure. Results will include scholarly publications and reports in the newsletters and journals of appropriate professional, scientific and stakeholder organizations.
