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"Ask Me No Questions": The Struggle For Disclosure Of Cultural And Genetic Resource Utilization In Design, Margo A. Bagley

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

New issues relating to the intersection of design protection and cultural and genetic resource utilization are arising from the confluence of an increased interest in design protection, the sustained allure of exotic cultural expressions, and novel uses of biological and genetic resources in crafting the appearance of articles protected by industrial design rights. As awareness of the many ways in which cultural and genetic resource use and misappropriation can occur is evolving, some developing countries have begun exploring the appropriateness of--and in some cases even instituting--a requirement that a designer disclose the origin of traditional cultural expressions, traditional knowledge, and …