Date: 02/06/2006 Copyright, Indigenous Knowledge And Africa’s University Libraries: The Case Of Uganda

Africa is often portrayed as a marginal player in the global knowledge flows. Disproportionate representation of Africa’s knowledge output is partly attributable to historically oral transmission of indigenous and traditional knowledge (ITK). ITK by its nature was not recorded and remains so in many traditional African societies. Misappropriation of indigenous or traditional knowledge and resources in the international sphere has deterred wide dissemination of ITK-related research particularly in the digital environment. This study explored copyright in Ugandan education institutions to assess use of digital technology in preservation of ITK and impact of copyright on use, or lack thereof. Institutional copyright policies relating to digital resources were inspected in addition to review of literature relevant to ITK activities in other African institutions. 1 1. Background The paper examines the disproportionate representation of African knowledge outpu