The Peruvian government's Law N. 27811, an intellectual property law passed in 2002 and designed to register and protect traditional knowledge, provides productive opportunities for critical analysis. Framed within the trajectory of international intellectual property rights and discussions that complicate the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into Cartesian scientific frameworks, this paper critically examines how the Peruvian law has been implemented and its impacts in Indigenous communities, particularly in the Andean Amazon region. The analysis is based on the author's work assisting Indigenous communities in San Martin register their knowledge through this law. While the law represents an advanced legal attempt to address power inequalities, it remains problematic. It does not address the impoverishment of Indigenous Peoples and continues to subordinate Indigenous TEK to Cartesian science. Although it is a symbolic recognition of the value of Peruvian Indigenous Peoples, other mechanisms are still required to redress the long history of colonization and racism.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Spring 2020
Economics and Development in an Ever-Changing World|
March 01 2020
Protecting Intellectual Property Rights and Traditional Ecological Knowledge: A Critical Look at Peru's Law 27811 Available to Purchase
Human Organization (2020) 79 (1): 69–79.
Citation
Michelle Hak Hepburn; Protecting Intellectual Property Rights and Traditional Ecological Knowledge: A Critical Look at Peru's Law 27811. Human Organization 1 March 2020; 79 (1): 69–79. doi: https://doi.org/10.17730/0018-7259.79.1.69
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
MPAs AS PROTECTED DESTINATIONS: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FISHING, AND PERCEPTIONS OF MARINE RESERVES IN PUGET SOUND, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
Marc L. Miller, Richard B. Pollnac, Patrick J. Christie
RESPONSIBLE DRIVING IN THE AGE OF SMARTPHONES: APPLIED RESEARCH FOR IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY IN THE MOTOR CITY
Yuson Jung, Andrea Sankar, Kaitlin Carter, Yen-Ting Chang, Bianca Dean, Travis Kruso, Colleen Linn, Emily Lock, Craig Meiners, Molly Sanford, Haley Scott, Jasmine Walker
EDITORIAL: KEEPING PACE
Lenore Manderson