The Declaration is the most comprehensive tool we have available to advance the rights of Indigenous peoples.
Search national laws & treaties on intellectual property of WIPO, WTO and UN members.
Resources available on WIPO's website on regional, national, local and community experiences regarding intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.
A wide range of tools and proposals have been developed over the past decade or so to protect traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) (including using classical IP systems, developing sui generis legislation, applying defensive protection instruments, among others). Special attention has been given to documentation and the role of databases and registers in this regard
Provides useful practical guidance on how to undertake a TK documentation exercise as a process and how to address critical IP-related issues and questions, as they surface during this effort.
What role customary law should play in the wider protection of traditional knowledge is a challenging question that raises a host of policy and legal issues. Holders of traditional knowledge have stressed that respect and recognition of customary law is integral to appropriate protection of traditional knowledge against misuse and misappropriation by others.