On 10th September, 2021, two researchers from the United States of America, John Wick and Sandra Marsh, visited the Goba tribe in Zambia’s Southern Province. They were accompanied by Faith Keen, a commercial fashion designer. Chief Malena of the Goba People warmly welcomed the trio at his palace and hosted a cultural reception in their honour. During the evening, twenty village girls performed traditional Goba dances and narrated historical tales belonging to the community. Sandra captured the entire experience, making video recordings of the dances and audio recordings of the narratives. The occasion was graced by Senior Headman Chipako who sold an authentic piece of hand-woven Goba attire to Faith for a US$100 price. The evening also featured a local traditional healer named Tonka, who demonstrated the tribe’s historical medical practices. Tonka openly explained that the bark of the Mululwe tree was their best-kept secret. He revealed that when the bark is pounded and mixed with hot water and salt, it effectively cures sore gums and toothaches. Intrigued by this disclosure, John slipped out of the palace later that night while the village slept and harvested numerous physical samples of both the Mululwe tree bark and its deep roots, which he packed into his luggage before the trio flew back to the United States the next morning. Once back in the US, the travelers utilized these materials to develop new products. John initiated biochemical experiments at the University of Arizona laboratories using the harvested samples. After three years of clinical research, he isolated active compounds from the bark to formulate a pharmaceutical paste called “GumCheek Therapy” to treat sore gums. Through laboratory analysis of the roots, he isolated a separate compound and developed an antibiotic pill named “Gut-biome” for respiratory tract infections. By late 2024, John had secured official US patents for both pharmaceutical products. Sandra focused her efforts on media production. In late 2024, she released a highly successful commercial documentary titled “A Peek into African Traditional Society”. The film featured unedited video footage of the Goba traditional dance she had recorded three years earlier. Furthermore, Sandra’s production team used the traditional attire Faith had purchased in Zambia to mass-reproduce a similar wardrobe, which was worn by a large troupe of background dancers appearing throughout the documentary. Faith capitalised on the documentary’s success by launching a global fashion line in 2025 called “MyGoba Swag”. The clothing line featured contemporary apparel displaying the patterns and visual appearance of the original Goba traditional garment. The brand generated millions of dollars in revenue. Beyond fashion, Faith also began hosting commercial storytelling events, where she charged audiences fees to hear her narrate the Goba stories she learned at the palace. A civil society human rights organisation called “Stand Up Zambia” has discovered these activities and wants to intervene. The organisation intends to file a lawsuit on behalf of the Goba Tribe against John, Sandra, and Faith to demand restitution and proper legal remedies. Advise “Stand Up Zambia” on whether the domestic legal framework can be applied to handle these specific occurrences, and critically discuss how the distinct claims of an indigenous community are evaluated when local ancestral heritage is obtained and commercialized in foreign intellectual property systems.