Parliament, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology today received an update from the Department of Science and Technology on the progress in formulating a task team, comprising the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environmental Affairs.
Progress to date has seen the drafting of the Bill transposed into a technical working draft. The three departments will meet on 26 May 2017 to discuss, among other things, the “misalignment” between the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Bill and the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act (IPLAA) and the necessity and/or validity of protecting the commercialisation of IK through intellectual property rights protection, as the patent legislation for the promotion of IK has barely been used.
The Portfolio Committee will resume with their meetings on the protection, promotion, development and management of IK systems pending the outcome of the departments’ meeting on 26 May.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MS LINDIWE MASEKO
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Name: Sureshinee Govender
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 2289
Cell: 081 704 1109
E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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