Dalindyebo Shabalala: The Traditional Knowledge and IP protection in US Tribal Codes

TheCenter for Law, Technology and Society is delighted to present the 2017 OpenAir Annual Lecture:

About the Distinguished Speaker

Dalingyebo Shabalala is an Assistant Professor of Law at the Dayton University

Native American nations in the United States have a long history of fighting for their treaty and other rights as they relate to the ownership of land and mineral resources. This is something that has impacted their relationships with the US Federal regulatory structures such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Energy among others. One notable absence is the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This absence is curious given the fundamental importance of traditional knowledge, genetic resources, and traditional cultural expression to the survival of Native American nations. Prof.Shabalala's presentations will outline the extent to which Native American nations have been engaged in claiming and protecting  their indigenous knowledge, and suggest some reasons for why there has been little or no conflict with the US federal legislative framework.