Association to protect RI inventions set up in Yogyakarta

Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of Indonesian art and culture lovers founded the Indonesian Association for Knowledge Empowerment and Traditional Cultural Expression in Yogyakarta on Wednesday evening.

The association's establishment is aimed at protecting Indonesian inventions and discoveries from being patented by non- nationals.

"We are concerned that some Indonesian inventions have been patented by foreigners, including the process for making dried tempe (fermented soybean cake)," said the association's chairwoman, Edi Sedyawati.

She said that if this trend was not stopped, other Indonesian inventions and discoveries could be patented by non-nationals at the expense of the nation.

"It is even possible that Lombok or Solo batik motifs could be patented in other countries. If this happened, the nation as a whole would be greatly prejudiced," said Edi.

Edi, who is a former director general of culture at the Ministry of National Education, said that the association's first major task would be to take an inventory of all Indonesian traditional inventions, processes and discoveries.

These would then be registered on behalf of the local community or ethnic group involved.

"We are also gathering data on traditional inventions and discoveries that have already been patented or registered by foreigners, such as the tempe-making process. Then we will study whether we need to resort to law in order to win these back for our country. If this is the case, we will bring class actions to annul the existing patents," said Edi.

Meanwhile, a senior official at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Arry Ardanta Sigit, said that a patent for a traditional process had been successfully challenged by an Indian community.

"This means there is a precedent. If we want to fight for our rights to our traditional inventions and discoveries, there is a good probability that we will succeed," said Arry.

Arry said that the association was established after some of its founders had earlier met in Venezuela on Nov. 30 last year.

The association already has a complete structure and a litigation department.

"Could you imagine if geplak (a Yogyakarta sweet cake made from cassava) were to be patented by foreigners and then sold back to us. The Yogyakarta people would suffer as the right to sell geplak would become the preserve of non-nationals rather than the Yogyakarta people," said Arry.

The founding ceremony was attended by some 40 people, including Edy, Arry, Haryo Martodirjo, a professor in anthropology at Padjadjaran University, Sjafril Sairin, an anthropology professor at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Sapto Rahardjo, a noted musician, and Lalu Padmanegara, a leader of the Sasak tribe.