Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Brooklyn Journal of International Law
And Industrial Property; Huipiles; Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property; Rights (TRIPS); Traditional knowledge; Traditional cultural expressions; World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Café Antigua; Pochampally Ikat
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Law
Where In The World: Protecting Indigenous Textiles In Guatemala Through Geographical Indications, Lucie Couillard Sosa
Where In The World: Protecting Indigenous Textiles In Guatemala Through Geographical Indications, Lucie Couillard Sosa
Brooklyn Journal of International Law
There is a current movement by indigenous weavers in Guatemala to protect their textile designs due to the harm caused by the absence of the weavers’ intellectual property ownership over the designs and patterns. The exploitation and appropriation of their designs by domestic and international companies has hurt weavers’ livelihoods and has led to culturally inappropriate and insensitive uses of religious and traditional patterns. Conventional intellectual property law (copyright, trademark, and patent law) fails to protect indigenous peoples’ intellectual property rights. A key weakness within conventional intellectual property law is the emphasis and focus on individuality of the creation process. …