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non-disclosed information shall not appear in the publication referred to in
Article 253.
Protection of the non-disclosed traditional knowledge shall be limited to the
repression of unfair competition, in accordance with the provisions of Title I of
Part IV.
Article 255: In the event that the local community seeking registration has opted to register
its traditional knowledge in the form of inventories, it may modify the
registration in question at any moment, without having to request a new
registration, so as to include in the initial registration changes or improvements
on the traditional knowledge registered. Should this be the case, the Industrial
Property Director shall take note of the modification made to the registration and
shall amend the certificate accordingly, noting the date on which the
modification was entered.
Section 2. Customary practices
Article 256: Title and other rights in the traditional knowledge protected under this Part shall
be collective in nature and shall be exercised by each local community in
accordance with its customary practices. These customary practices shall also
determine the exploitation of the traditional knowledge by the various members
of the local communities.
Article 257: In the event that the customary practices establish special systems for legal
representation of local communities, which may affect the management of the
traditional knowledge, a description of said practices must be included in the
description of the traditional knowledge that forms the subject matter of the
registration.
Article 258: The means for distributing the profits arising from the exploitation of the
traditional knowledge within each local community shall be established in
accordance with the community’s customary practices.
Article 259: In the event that several local communities which occupy the same territory have
created and hold identical or similar elements of traditional knowledge, they
may register these elements individually on behalf of each community. Each
community concerned may also individually enforce its rights in these elements
of traditional knowledge. Nevertheless, nothing shall prevent these communities
from joining forces to exploit jointly the traditional knowledge they have in
common.
Article 260: A local community which occupies both part of the territory of Burundi and part
of the territory of a neighboring country may acquire rights in its traditional
knowledge and enforce them in the territory of Burundi, in accordance with this
Law.
If the community’s traditional knowledge is also protected in the neighboring
country, the registration and protection of such knowledge in the territory of
Burundi shall not prevent this same community from acquiring rights in the