Bill > SCR191

This Concurrent Resolution urges the establishment of a Native Hawaiian Intellectual Property Working Group, a nine-member body composed of experts in Native Hawaiian law, indigenous intellectual property, or cultural practitioners, to discuss and develop policies and legislation concerning Native Hawaiian intellectual property. The working group's members will be appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President, based on nominations from various Native Hawaiian organizations and entities, and they are tasked with creating solutions to prevent the misuse and appropriation of Native Hawaiian intellectual property, which encompasses traditional knowledge and cultural expressions like language, hula, and art forms that have been passed down through generations. The resolution highlights that existing Western intellectual property laws, designed for individual creators, often fail to protect the collective rights of indigenous peoples, leading to instances of theft and misappropriation, and therefore, this working group aims to address these shortcomings by consulting with stakeholders and proposing legislative recommendations to the State Legislature by early 2025, while also monitoring international discussions on the topic.