Many institutions and communities have developed valuable IP-related codes, protocols, policies, practices and standard agreements relating to the safeguarding of, access to, ownership of and control over cultural heritage.

WIPO has commissioned surveys of these existing resources and practices, which can serve as an empirical basis for the eventual development of best practices and guidelines. The surveys were prepared by experts commissioned by WIPO. Please contact us to submit feedback and new contributions.

Country/Region Author Title Document(s)
North America Martin Skrydstrup PDF Towards IP Guidelines and Best Practices for Recording and Digitizing Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Survey of Codes, Conduct and Challenges in North America
  • Survey Report PDF
  • Executive Summary PDF
South Pacific Malia Talakai PDF Intellectual Property and Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Survey of Current Practices and Protocols in the South Pacific
  • Survey Report PDF
  • Executive Summary PDF
  • Maori Glossary PDF
Argentina Maria Clara Lima PDF Intellectual Property Management in the Digitization of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Argentina
  • Survey Report PDF (in Spanish)
  • Executive Summary PDF
Brazil Antonio Arantes PDF Documenting and Disseminating Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions in Brazil
  • Survey Report:
    Volume 1 PDF , Volume 2 PDF
  • Executive Summary PDF
Bulgaria Vladia Borissova PDF Digitizing Cultural Heritage in Bulgaria: A Survey of Intellectual Property-related Experiences and Practices
  • Survey Report PDF
  • Executive Summary PDF
  • Supplement PDF
France Laurella Rincon PDF Intellectual Property and Protection of Cultural Heritage: the case of the two national museums of arts and civilizations in France
  • Survey Report PDF
  • Executive Summary PDF (in French)
Guatemala Jose Maza PDF Experiencias y Prácticas Nacionales para la Elaboración de Directrices sobre Propiedad Intelectual en Guatemala
  • Survey Report PDF (in Spanish)
  • Preliminary Comments PDF (in Spanish)
India Shubha Chaudhuri PDF Intellectual Property Management in an Ethnomusicology Archive: An Empirical View from India
  • Survey Report PDF