All Hands On Deck: Biopiracy & the Available Protections for Traditional Knowledge 273
all hands on deck: BioPiracy & the aVailaBle Protections for traditional knowledge
shannon F. smith* i. introduction
A “hit man” sets up camp in a tribal village and explains to the chief that his presence has been approved of by the headman, a communi ty leader of several villages.1 He says he is there to teach and help educate the children of the village.2 The hit man will then send the children to school where a schoolmaster (i.e. the hit man) tells the children to collet plants from the forest and ask their parents about the different ailments they cure.3 The hit man may further tell them that if their parents are un sure, the children should suggest their parents consult with the Shaman to learn the uses.4 The hit man tells the children that when enough infor mation about the plants is collected it will be put into a book in the native language for the children to use in the village school.5 This unfortunately is not just a story meant to scare children into avoiding strangers. Instead, it is a common way that Northern scientists obtain traditional knowl edge without the consent or even knowledge of the indigenous people supplying it.6 This common scheme demonstrates the need for realistic protections of traditional knowledge for developing countries. Issues such as using biological resources and knowledge with out the consent of or attribution to the indigenous people from whom it came are becoming increasingly prevalent as developed Northern countries, which are rich in biological resources. It is this power im balance that has led to cries of misappropriation and biopiracy from developing nations who expend their knowledge and biodiversity but