Do You Want it Giftwrapped? Protecting Traditional Knowledge in the Pacific Island Countries

The importance of customary law and customary institutions in the context of protecting the traditional knowledge of indigenous people is gradually being more widely recognised. However, translating this recognition into practice still seems a long way off, as very few countries have developed a protection framework that provides a role for customary institutions.The Pacific Island countries are currently in the process of moving forward with such an initiative, and their experiences offer important insights into the challenges associated with it. This chapter begins by discussing the TK agenda as it has been pursued in the region for the past decade, and in particular the development of the Regional Framework for the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture (2002), which has been cited as a best practice approach.