The contradiction between Intellectual Property Rights and indigenous peoples' rights

The Hegemony of Scientific Knowledge: The Displacement of Ancestral Knowledge

Abstract

This article examines the tension between intellectual property rights (IP) and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples. Through the analysis of critical perspectives and the specific case of Dzitya, Yucatan. This allows us to understand that current IP laws, focused on Western values, are not adapted to the cultural realities of the Global South, especially to indigenous conceptions of knowledge and creation. Based on three key points: how the hegemony of Western scientific knowledge has displaced other knowledge systems. The capitalist system and the IP laws derived from it are not adjusted to the cultural and economic practices of indigenous communities and the existing IP protection mechanisms (copyrights, trademarks, patents, etc.) are often inaccessible or inadequate to protect indigenous traditional knowledge and cultural expressions. This article calls on us to reflect as a society and demand the development of more inclusive, culturally sensitive IP protection systems that respond to the specific needs of indigenous peoples and communities in the Global South.