IP Management by Museums, Libraries and Archives

Museums, libraries, archives and other cultural institutions play an invaluable role in preserving and providing access to their collections.

Preserving and providing access to these collections can raise a number of IP issues, especially in a digital environment.

Collections of “traditional” cultural expressions and “traditional” knowledge raise a specific set of IP issues. Indigenous and traditional communities voice concerns that sometimes documenting and displaying a traditional song or a tribal symbol, for example, make them vulnerable to misappropriation. The very process of preservation of traditional cultural expressions can trigger concerns about their lack of legal protection.

WIPO’s work in this area is developing a compendium for museums, libraries, archives and other cultural institutions on management of IP rights and interests with a specific but not exclusive focus on collections comprising traditional cultural expressions.