Intellectual Property Law and the Protection of Traditional Knowledge

Growing biopiracy concerns have fueled urgent calls for a new system of legal protection for traditional knowledge. Detractors of the current patent systems say that the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities does not readily fit into the existing rules of the industrialized world and that these rules basically promote the interests of the industrialized world. However, Charles McManis, J.D., IP and technology law expert and the Thomas and Karole Green Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis, argues that “at least in the short run, existing intellectual property regimes offer the most realistic avenue for securing effective legal protection for traditional knowledge holders.”

Man the Hunted and the Evolution of Sociality

mp3 fileIn this acuality, Sussman discusses the fact that a human ancestor species called Australopithecus afarensis that lived between 5 million and 2.5 million years ago was what’s called an “edge species”. That is, they could adapt both to living in trees and on the ground. Most primate edge species actually are prey rather than […]

The Poincare Conjecture: Proved or Not?

A Missouri mathematician believes that the state’s moniker has great bearing on the status of modern mathematical proofs: Show Me. Steven Krantz, Ph.D., professor of mathematics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, said that it is becoming more difficult to verify proofs today and that the concept of the proof has undergone serious change over the course of his 30-plus years career,

Strategies for Success in School-University Partnerships

It is very common for cities to declare their intent to become the next telecommunications corridor, biotechnology hub, or some other kind of technological center. But what often goes unexamined is how the human resource development strategy aligns with the economic goals of the municipality. Building civic capacity to support the learning of science and mathematics is vitally important for St. Louis and other cities. To this end, partnerships between schools and universities to advance human development are critical, says William Tate, Ph.D., Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and Director of the St. Louis Center for Inquiry in Science Teaching and Learning.

Douglas to leave Washington University; will continue technology development work

Michael Douglas, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for research, is leaving Washington University to focus greater energy on family owned businesses outside of St. Louis. Additionally, Douglas announced that he plans to remain a resident of St. Louis and work independently on technology development, intellectual property licensing, startup companies and venture capital investment to spur biotechnology advancement in the region.

Service award nominations sought

The Dean’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor awarded to a medical staff member, includes a $1,000 cash prize.

‘Dem Bones’

Photo by Robert BostonA bone-density screening was a recent initiative of the Community Outreach Program of the Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science.
View More Stories