Association to protect RI inventions set up in Yogyakarta
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.