Protecting traditional knowledge: the San and hoodia.

The article discusses the issues of patenting the traditional knowledge of the San, an indigenous people of South Africa, making drugs and other products out of hoodia gordonii plants. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has agreed with the San people to share any potential sales of drugs out of the plant. The San have also signed a profit-sharing agreement with the South African Hoodia Growers Pty Ltd in February 2006. However, no products have yet been launched under the profit-sharing agreement but there are products made from hoodia plants that have been sold in Germany and Switzerland.