传统知识的利用与知识产权的保护

Useness of Traditional Knowledge and Protection of IP

现代科学技术的发展,越来越需要传统知识的广泛应用。对传统知识的保护问题也日益引起各国的重视。传统知识因为区别于现代知识产权客体的特点,所以对传统知识的保护不应当也不可能仅限于知识产权保护的范围。最重要的原因是,传统知识的持有者往往是个群体,而且多数情况下这类群体在经济上处于弱势,所以单单依靠私法领域的保护,并不能起到全部作用。对弱势群体的扶持任务,应当落到国家的身上,实际就是有了国家公权力的介入,并且从中起到引导和桥梁的作用。

The development of modern science and technology is increasingly asking for more use of traditional knowledge. And the subject of traditional knowledge protection has been paid more attention to by many countries, especially the developing countries that hold the most traditional knowledge of the world. But there are many difficulties to protect traditional knowledge with modern intellectual property system, owing to its long history and collective creativity and oral spread. Above all, the holders of traditional knowledge are usually collective and have a low economic status. The holders have no much sense of protecting the traditional knowledge they own. So it is difficult to protect TK just by the private law. It requires the interference of public power.