The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has created a fund to boost the involvement of indigenous and local communities in efforts to protect their cultural knowledge and arts from misuse in the world market.

The voluntary fund, created at the ninth session of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, held in Geneva from 24-28 April 2006, aims to provide practical support for representatives of these communities to actively participate in the process of establishing international standards to prevent the misappropriation of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions. Contributions to the fund from the Swedish International Biodiversity Programme (‘SwedBio’) and the French Government have been announced. According to IP Watch, developing country delegates at the meeting reiterated the need for a legally-binding instrument, while a new Norwegian proposal on the protection of traditional knowledge, but not genetic resources, received support from a number of developed countries. Highlighting disagreement over the notion of a legally binding tool, the compromise Norwegian proposal suggests focusing on areas where an agreement is within reach, and calls for a high-level declaration on these issues. It also suggests considering use of Article 10bis (preventing unfair competition) of the 1883 Paris Convention for the protection of industrial property as a model for a new instrument against misappropriation and unfair use of traditional knowledge. Discussion on these issues will continue at the tenth session of the Committee, on the basis of written comments submitted by delegations.
Links to further information
WIPO press release, 27 April 2006
UN press release, 27 April 2006
More information on the WIPO Voluntary Fund
The working documents of the IGC ninth session
The decisions of the IGC ninth session
IP Watch, Nations urge legally binding biodiversity outcome at WIPO, 25 April 2006
IP Watch, WIPO Traditional Knowledge Committee snags over future work, 28 April 2006