Traditional medicine, the use of plants, animals, and minerals for human health needs must be brought toa new scientific level of sustainable development in order to accommodate future global health care needs.

A partir da segunda metade da década de noventa, após a fase de reestruturação e modernização da produção agrícola, as questões econômicas pertinentes aos conflitos de terra no Brasil ganharam maior grau de complexidade em virtude de significativas mudanças institucionais e das incertezas sobre os direitos de propriedade; geradas com o aumento das disputas entre proprietários de terras, posseiros, organizações de movimentos sociais, indígenas, quilombolas, ambientalistas e organismos governamentais. Dentro desse contexto sócio-econômico, a presente pesquisa objetivou investigar um tipo específico de conflito fundiário referente ao processo de invasões (ocupações) de terras em propriedades rurais, realizadas por organizações de movimentos sociais. A literatura empírica sobre a relação econômica entre direitos de propriedade e investimento apresenta uma diversidade de resultados e apontamentos que motivaram a investigação do problema no caso das disputas de terra no Estado do Paraná. O atual conflito paranaense tem como importante característica as disputas judiciais entre produtores rurais e movimentos sociais, no qual, os proprietários rurais questionam a legalidade das invasões quanto ao seu caráter reivindicatório pela reforma agrária, e pleiteiam o cumprimento imediato dos mandados de reintegração de posse quando da invasão de terra. Por parte dos movimentos, as invasões de terras tornaram-se o principal mecanismo de \"pressão\" sobre o Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária (INCRA), para a execução dos processos de desapropriação e assentamentos. Tendo como marco institucional a Medida Provisória nº2027-38/2000 (conhecida como lei \"anti-invasão\"), mais o relatório de propriedades invadidas da Federação de Agricultura do Estado do Paraná (FAEP), foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa empírica junto aos produtores rurais nas principais áreas de conflitos de terras; compreendendo as invasões ocorridas entre 2000 e 2006. Com base na fundamentação da Nova Economia Institucional e na análise dos resultados da literatura empírica sobre direitos de propriedade de terra e investimentos privados, a presente pesquisa analisou a relação entre o a variável \"tempo de invasão\" (proxy para a insegurança do direito de propriedade) e \"nível de produtividade da terra\" (proxy para o investimento), comparando diferentes grupos de produtores e sua produtividade antes e depois da invasão. Como resultado da análise descritiva dos dados primários, a presente pesquisa estabeleceu um conjunto de observações sobre: (i) as propriedades invadidas; (ii) as invasões de terra; (iii) os processos judiciais; e (iv) os efeitos das invasões sobre os investimentos na produção. Como principais resultados, a pesquisa apontou para as seguintes considerações: o tempo de invasão da terra afetou, especialmente, os investimentos das propriedades pecuaristas e invadidas acima de 120 dias (longo prazo de invasão). No caso das propriedades com tempo inferior a 60 dias de invasão (curto prazo), o resultado mais freqüente foi a manutenção dos investimentos na produção; contudo, em casos que ocorreram mais de uma invasão na mesma propriedade, houve queda da produtividade mesmo com um tempo curto de invasão. Para o grupo dos proprietários com tempo de invasão de 60 a 120 dias (médio prazo), os resultados sobre os investimentos foram variados. / From the second half of the nineties after the phase of restructuring and modernization of agricultural production, the economic issues relevant to conflicts of land in Brazil won greater degree of complexity because of significant institutional changes and uncertainties about the property rights generated with the increase of disputes between owners of land, squatters, social movements organizations, indigenous, Afro-Brazilian (\"quilombolas\"), environmentalists and government. In this socio-economic context this research objectives investigate a specific conflict type pertaining to the process of land invasions (occupation) of land properties held by organizations of social movements. The empirical literature about economic relationship between property rights and investment presents a variety of results and notes that led to the investigation of the problem in the case of disputes of land in the state of Paraná. The current Paraná\'s conflict has important feature as the legal disputes between farmers and movements in which the landowners questioned the legality of the claim invasion for agrarian reform and compliance with the immediate mandate of reinstatement of possession when invasion of land. For part of the movement the invasions of land have become the main mechanism of \"pressure\" on the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (NICAR) to the implementation of procedures for the expropriation and settlements. With New Institutional Economics framework and analyze of the Provisional Measure 2027-38 of 2000 (known as \"anti-invasion\" law), plus the report of properties raided the Agricultural Federation of the state of Paraná (AFSP) a survey was developed to empirically with farmers the main areas of conflict of land; including invasions occurred between 2000 and 2006. Based on the reasoning of the New Institutional Economics and the analysis of the results of the empirical literature on the land property rights and private investments, this research examined the relationship between the variable \"time of invasion\" (proxy for the uncertainty of property) and \"level of productivity of the land\" (proxy for investment), comparing different groups of producers and their productivity before and after the invasion. As a result of the descriptive analysis of the primary data, this research has established a set of comments on: (i) the properties invaded; (ii) the invasions of land; (iii) legal proceedings; and (iv) the effects of the invasion on investment in production. The main results, the research pointed to the following considerations: the time of invasion of the land affected, in particular, investment properties and pastoralists invaded over 120 days (longterm invasion). In the case of properties with time less than 60 days of invasion (short-term), the result was more frequent maintenance of investment in production. However, in cases that occurred over an invasion on the same property, the result of productivity was negative even with a short time of invasion. For the group of owners with time of invasion of 60 to 120 days (medium term), the results of the investments have been varied.

This thesis attempts to illuminate and problematize the marriage of capitalism and colonialism that results in the widespread appropriation of Indigenous expressions of culture, and in particular, totem poles. This project complicates our understanding of totem poles as they have been presented in the marketplace and restores some of the intricate legal meaning to these incredible works. First, I examine Canadian intellectual property law and colonial policies of cultural erasure like the potlatch ban. Next, I explore the use of rights discourse, or legalism, as a potential route for solutions to this issue. I then conduct case studies of three totem poles. I examine one totem pole as a commodity, one functioning as a piece of art and someone's livelihood, and one as part of a Tlingit legal tradition. This last totem, as a materially appropriated object, provides an opportunity to explore the treatment of totem poles in proper context and also functions as a suggested solution to Indigenous art appropriation more broadly. My intervention on this last totem reframes these issues in a non-Western legal cannon to attempt to address these difficult legal questions. My examination of these three totems serves to destabilize our understanding of totem poles sold in the marketplace, and to broaden our understanding of totems as manifestations of Indigenous laws. / Graduate

This thesis is a collection of essays on the relevance of property right reforms on the wellbeing of poor households in developing countries; specifically titling programmes in urban Peru. The first essay assesses the effects of titling on housing investment. The availability of a unique dataset permits us to trace households' investment behaviour. This allows us to investigate if tenure security induces households to make sizeable investments, the evolution of this effect over time, and whether heterogeneous expectations about future tenure security matter for the estimated impact. Evidence reveals significant effects, especially on large investment; however, the response on this type of investment may take several years to become effective. The second essay contributes to the debate on the sustainability of property rights reforms by emphasising the importance of strong registration systems. Policymakers have focused on the process of granting titles but the conditions needed to maintain the formality of future plot transactions have been left unattended. The analysis exploits an exogenous variation in legislation to examine the impact of a change in the registration process on the registration rate of plot transactions. Evidence suggests a large negative effect, implying that a weak registration system could threaten the reform. The third essay explores the impact of titling on the risk preferences of slum dwellers. The analysis provides evidence that titled dwellers reported lower values of the risk aversion measure than their non-treated counterparts. Results also suggest that tenure security can influence slum dwellers' preference formation process. Evidence shows that beneficiaries who were exposed to tenure security during their youth report on average lower values of the risk aversion indicator than individuals titled at an older age.

Magister Legum - LLM / The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) ia a multilateral international treaty introduced by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that came into effect on 1 June 1995. At a basic level it attempted to establish minimum standards for the regulation of intellectual property rights within those countries that are members of the WTO and signatories to it. This thesis served a dual purpose. The first leg was to embark on an investigation into TRIPS, criticallt analyzing the provisions of the Agreement. The important aim here was to analyze and discover whether TRIPS is sensitive to weaker countries. The second leg was to probe within the the legislative framework of South Africa and determine whether South Africa as a "developing copuntry", has complied with the demands as expressed by TRIPS. This investigation was done with specific reference to South African patent law. / South Africa

Magister Commercii - MCom / This study examines the influence of trade openness on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in emerging market economies. The study focuses on a sample of 15 emerging market economies during 1992-2006. The econometric framework utilised in the study consist of panel data analysis, although the pooled OLS model is first estimated in order to give the reader a sense of what to expect in the main results. Using alternative estimation techniques, the study shows that, indeed, trade openness carries with it the potential of harnessing more FDI into emerging market economies but this need to be complemented by appropriate macroeconomic and sectoral policies. Notably, as the results of the study suggest, foreign investors generally consider the host country's market size, its labour market practices with respect to the real wage, and the current and expected rates of inflation, in order to invest in the country. The results from the study suggests that, given identical trade openness strategies, emerging market economies that have larger market sizes are likely to be more successful in attracting FDI than those with smaller market sizes. The evidence also suggests that, given identical trade openness strategies, emerging market economies that have lower real wages and lower price inflation are likely to be more successful in attracting FDI than those with high real wages and high or variable price inflation. Finally, the findings of this study do not provide strong evidence in support of the fact that infrastructural development, property rights and external debt matter in attracting FDI into emerging markets. The policy implications of this study for South Africa, which is currently contesting for FDI with the fast growing and relatively larger economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China (otherwise referred to as, BRICs), is that urgent attention needs to be given to the rising prices and wages provoked by increasingly strong unions, and weak anti-trust regulations in the country, in spite of a fairly successful inflation targeting framework adopted a decade ago.

The Agreement on Trade – Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights has almost universal application due to the large number of signatories from the World Trade Organization member states. 149 countries signed the TRIPS by 1994. Therefore, the TRIPS Agreement has also become a valuable tool for the protection of special intellectual property rights under the term geographical indications. GIs have current relevance in the world market to consumers who are healthy and quality conscious. The legal protection of GIs is due to their economic value to many countries where the producers are in rural areas. This is because most GIs are based on traditional methods of production which have earned goodwill. The TRIPS came in to prevent fee riding of such rights by producers who do not conform to the standards and rules of production. The TRIPS Agreement requires member states to harmonise their legal systems to provide legal means of protecting GIs to the standard stipulated therein. Malawi joined the WTO on 31 May 1995 which means that the obligation above mentioned is applicable from then on. Therefore, this study is an investigation of whether Malawi has complied with the obligations in article 1.1 of the TRIPS especially in so far as geographical indications rights are concerned. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

No abstract available / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Private Law / unrestricted

This thesis examines the effect of property rights and democracy on deforestation. The aim of the study is to test the two hypotheses; (1.a.) Well-defined property rights will lower deforestation and (1.b.) Higher levels of liberty will decrease deforestation. Furthermore, the test will be constructed by an extensive cross-country study of 193 countries by the method of fixed effect regressions. A contribution is made in the form of investigating the two explanatory factors, property rights and liberty, on deforestation in the scope of one study. Which there is (to the best of my knowledge) a lack of within this research area. The results gained no support for hypothesis (1.a.) meanwhile hypothesis (1.b.) found support. On the other hand, the thesis shows that property rights and liberty can affect the deforestation rate. Finally, this thesis underlines the association between the two explanatory factors under the scope, and by thus, motivates further research on the matter to fill a vital gap within the studies of deforestation.

The role of intellectual property (IP) rights, such as patents, in innovation is the subject of an ongoing debate. Using a sudden shift in the patentability of genomic compounds, this dissertation contributes new evidence to this debate by shedding light on three different roles that patents can play in innovative processes. In three complementary essays, I examine the impact of patents on follow-on innovations, markets for technology, and scientific research. Compiling data on the population of patents on isolated genes, I show that their sudden invalidation has increased innovation in commercialized diagnostic tests, but decreased the cooperative agreements among the biopharmaceutical firms. I further show that these effects are heterogeneous across firms and markets. The results of my analyses, however, present no significant evidence of patents hindering the scientific progress. The findings of this study provide novel contribution to a vigorous academic debate on IP rights and inform policy by discussing the consequences of a recent high-profile ruling on the patent-eligibility of genomic compounds.