Indigenous Peoples, Intellectual Property and Sustainability

Intellectually Property is defined by the concept of intangible property created from human labour intertwined with Nature. This is the foundation of the legal protection of our creative labour, our ideas applied to a useful purpose for the well-being of our society. From philosophical roots, intellectual property protection became an asset for economic means, which directly affects global biodiversity conservation because Nature becomes the ultimate financial resource capable of generating investment for novel products and exhaustion of natural resources. Sustainability is defined as avoiding the depletion of natural resources and maintaining ecological equilibrium, which depends on corporate responsibility, effective ecological metrics, and strong international human rights protection of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge. The paradoxical relationship of economic development against social inclusion and equity of vulnerable populations includes environmental protection by local laws allied to international treaties to support this fragile balance of opposite values in our society. This paper will address sound solutions for a balanced assessment of legal protection and innovative ideas for businesses, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use of resources.