Bill > SR196

This Resolution urges the creation of a Native Hawaiian Intellectual Property Working Group, a nine-member body composed of experts in Native Hawaiian law, indigenous intellectual property, cultural customs, or practitioners, to address issues surrounding Native Hawaiian intellectual property. This intellectual property refers to the traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and art forms developed and passed down by Native Hawaiians over generations, such as language (ka ?olelo Hawai?i), hula, music (mele), stories (mo?olelo), and various crafts. The Resolution highlights that existing Western intellectual property laws, like patents and copyrights, were not designed to protect indigenous collective knowledge and can inadvertently lead to its misuse or theft by researchers, corporations, and industries, as exemplified by a recent dispute over the use of the terms "Aloha" and "Poke." The working group, with members nominated by various Native Hawaiian organizations and government entities, will be tasked with developing solutions to prevent the appropriation of Native Hawaiian intellectual property, meeting monthly, and consulting with industry stakeholders and other Native Hawaiian communities. Their recommendations, including any proposed legislation, are to be submitted to the Legislature by early 2025.