Indigenous Voices

In 2000, WIPO members established an Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC), and in 2009 they agreed to develop an international legal instrument (or instruments) that would give traditional knowledge, genetic resources and traditional cultural expressions (folklore) effective protection.

Indigenous interests in intellectual property law can affect approximately 370 million indigenous people located in nearly 100 countries. Yet a legal framework for the protection of indigenous knowledge, culture, folklore, science, and music remains elusive.

Indigenous/traditional knowledge and intellectual property law is a complicated contemporary legal problem. There are multiple perspectives and opinions circulating about what the problems are, where they manifest and what needs to happen to alleviate them. Indigenous people argue that they have legitimate rights to control, access and utilize in any way, including restricting others’ access to, knowledge or information that derives from unique cultural histories, expressions, practices and contexts. Indigenous people are looking to intellectual property law as a means to secure these ends.

Founded in 2010 to legitimize Indigenous governance frameworks for determining ownership, access, and culturally appropriate conditions for sharing collections of cultural heritage and Indigenous data using "Traditional Knowledge" and "Biocultural" Labels and Notices.

This guide features various policies and developing practices around the recording and transmission of Indigenous knowledge.

The Virtual Health Library on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (VHL TCIM) specializes in Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) and its related traditional health practices.