The Atlantic published an article titled: “The Maasai People Take Back Their Brand” in which it highlights the efforts of UK-based non-profit Light Years IP in helping the Maasai “trademark its customs and name and claim a share of profits” made from the use of its name by European companies such as Land Rover and Louis Vuitton. Readers of this blog will no doubt confirm that this misleading article by the Atlantic appears to have gone viral and has been widely shared, re-posted, tweeted and retweeted. (See previous stories on the “Maasai brand” by the Guardian and BBC.)
While the Atlantic article continued to flood the internet, the news24 network in South Africa issued a press release announcing that a benefit-sharing agreement was signed between Cape Kingdom Nutraceuticals, the South African San Council (SASC) and the National Khoisan Council (NKC). Michael Stander, Managing Director of Cape Kingdom Nutraceuticals – a Cape Town-based company that acquires and processes the buchu plant in South Africa – is quoted as having said that:
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IP Kenya 