The objective of this study is to identify and explore the role of intellectual property rights in sharing the benefits arising from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. It was commissioned in response to Decision IV/9 of the Conference of the Parties to the Conventional on Biological Diversity, and highlights the need, when genetic resources are first accessed, for a understanding of intellectual property issues, as they relate to traditional knowledge of biological resources.

Jointly produced by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This is one of a series of Booklets dealing with intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions/folklore.