In the past decade, indigenous knowledge systems have witnessed a belated renaissance, both in policy instruments of international organizations and in some international law agreements. In the progressive emancipation of indigenous knowledge systems, two key issues have arisen. The first is the controversial appropriation of various products, innovations, art forms, and intellectual property of indigenous knowledge systems. A particularly contested aspect of this phenomenon has been characterized as biopiracy. The second closely related issue is whether dominant regimes for the protection of intellectual property are compatible with indigenous knowledge systems.