Call for Book Chapters: NLUJAA

About NLUJAA

National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam is a National Law University located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established in 2009 through an Act passed by the State Legislature of Assam as a public university dedicated to the field of legal education.

Concept Note

Traditional Knowledge (TK) is defined by WIPO as knowledge, know-how, skills and practises which are developed, sustained and then passed on from one generation to the other. It includes tradition-based literary, artistic or scientific works; performances; designs; marks, names and symbols; undisclosed information; and other kinds of tradition-based innovations and creations which results from the intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary or artistic fields.

Around the world, communities have developed a wide variety of TK. TK plays an important role in the sustainable use of local resources and biodiversity conservation. However, there are many threats to TK today, one of the biggest being bio-piracy. There are deliberations on the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime offering aids in the protection of TK. Though some claim that the IPR system does not provide solutions to the major challenges that are faced by the communities who are repositories of TK, there are still many who believe that the IPR regime can offer certain tools which can be used somehow to protect, promote or prevent the misappropriation of such traditional forms of innovation and creativity.

Geographical indications (GI) on the other hand is a very unique IPR. Unlike most IPRs, GI is community-owned. GI can be defined as an indication, sign, name which is used on products to indicate that it originates from a particular location or territory. GI signifies that the product possesses certain characteristics, quality or reputation due to its geographical origin. If properly marketed, GI products can fetch premium prices, thereby, improving the socio-economic condition of the producers of such products.

Interestingly, many of the agricultural, foodstuff, handicraft items etc. that come within TK have the potential to be GI. GI cannot provide a defensive mechanism to protect these TK but can help the communities to improve the economic condition of the people by fetching premium prices.

The aim of the book is to highlight various unique TK/TCEs and GIs of communities in India and particularly in the North-eastern region of India. The book also intends to highlight the unethical exploitation of such TK/TCEs and GIs. The book also seeks to explore the possibility of providing recognition and protection of TK/TCEs and GIs under the IPR Regime.

Broad Themes of the Book

1. Need for protection of traditional knowledge: National and International Perspectives
2. Bio-piracy and Bioprospecting/ Access and Benefit Sharing
3. Traditional Knowledge and Designs
4. Traditional Knowledge and Copyright (Folklore, Folk literature, Folk Music, Dance, Art forms etc.)
5. Traditional Knowledge and Patent
6. Traditional Knowledge and Geographical Indications
7. Traditional Knowledge and Plant Varieties
8. International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and TK
9. Patent and defensive protection of TK
10. Traditional Knowledge, Biodiversity and Genetic Resources in Developing Countries: Issues of Piracy & Protection
11. The Role of IP in Promoting and Commercializing Products based on TK/TCEs and GIs
12. Gaps within the IP system that might need to be filled in to ensure the effective protection of TK and TCEs
13. Intellectual property and the documentation of TK and TCEs
14. Role of TKDL in protection of TK
15. Participation by indigenous and local community in protecting TK/TCEs and GIs
16. Scope of TK as GI
17. Challenges of TK based products in GI registration
18. Commercialization Strategies for GIs
19. GIs and Trade
20. GIs and Sustainability
21. Challenges in GI Registration
22. Case Study on GIs: India and Abroad
23. Governance of GIs: the role of public authorities
24. Governance of GIs: role of collective organizations
25. Control and certification mechanisms for GIs
26. Enforcement of GIs
27. Marketing challenges of GIs
28. Evaluation of impacts of GIs: Social; Economic; Environmental; Cultural

Submission Guidelines

The sub-themes are broadly suggestive. The author may write on any topic relevant to the theme of the book. The overlapping topics of TK and GI can also be taken up.
All the contributions should be the original work of the contributors. All submissions will undergo the plagiarism test.
The chapters should be ideally above 3000 words.
All articles, notes and comments should provide a brief abstract of 250-300 words.
The text shall be in font style Times New Roman, font size 12, spacing 1.5.
The footnotes shall be in font style Times New Roman, font size 10, spacing 1.
Kindly use footnotes instead of endnotes. Footnotes should conform to the ILI Style of Footnoting.
All submissions are to be made through the following email address: booktkandgi@gmail.com

Submission Deadline

April 30, 2022

The book will be published by an international or national publisher of repute with ISBN.

For more details

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XjyeqLW9oxQhH18t3sA0E5UVFNaz9qPN/view

For further query

For any other information please get in touch with:

Prof. (Dr.) V.K. Ahuja Vice-Chancellor National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam
Dr. Jupi Gogoi Associate Professor National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam

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