Written by Traver
While at face value, intellectual property may seem like a concept difficult to connect to the world of Dune(2021), the fundamental ideas that make up intellectual property play a key role in the main conflict of the film. The main resource and source of contention in the film, “spice” exists only on the planet Arrakis. The inhospitable nature of the planet is such that when great houses are sent to rule Arakis and extract its resources, they must rely on the technology and traditions of Arrakis' indigenous Freman people. This raises a clear ethical question as it seems logical that the people native to Arrakis, who are essential to the extraction of spice, should have some ownership and agency in this technology's use.
“The Fremen are the true stewards of Arrakis, it’s soul bound to their traditions. To exploit their land and culture is not just theft; it’s sacrilege"[1]. This dialogue from the film lends credit and ownership to the Freman based on their history on the planet. It compares the “stewardship” of Arrakis that each of the great houses claims, to the stewardship the Freman maintain as the indigenous people of the planet. The textbook makes its own compelling argument for Freman ownership, as in this chapter it breaks down John Locke’s theory of property rights. Locke makes the argument that people own, “those things that they have removed from Nature through their own labor”[2]. Locke's argument remains applicable to the Freeman as their traditions and knowledge of the planet are essential to removing spice from nature, yet they retain little to no agency in its sale and use.
Ownership of traditional knowledge has a solid presence in the contemporary and international context. "Indigenou peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge as well as the manifestations of their sciences”, “They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge”.[3]. The value of indigenous knowledge and traditions is recognized by the international community and is viewed as an important example of intellectual property. That these traditions are recognized as the intellectual property of the communities they come from is essential to maintaining a solid standard of ownership. The poignancy of Dune is that it presents a world where ownership is not respected and “might makes right” overrides any form of ownership ethics. While this type of conflict is certainly not absent from the real world, the hyperbolized setting of a galactic society relying on one peoples knowledge paints the problem in an enhanced light.
References:
[1]"Dune." Denis Villeneuve, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2021.
[2] Micheal J. Quinn, “Ethics for the Information Age, 8th Edition” (Pearson, 3/5/2019). P. 421
[3] United Nations. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples*, Article 31, 2007.