“Repatriating” Indigenous Digital Heritage: The Rise of TK Labels and Licenses

The indigenous communities worldwide treat their traditional knowledge as shared wisdom, know-how, skills, and fruits of intellectual exercises that pass down from generation to generation. On the flip side, Western intellectual property (IP) protection’s philosophical and legal basis emphasizes the proprietary right to exclude others from using owned knowledge. Such divergence corners the intangible cultural materials that belong to indigenous communities globally, putting them in a powerless position. However, there is a silver lining in harnessing more systematic, legal protections for traditional knowledge—through the Traditional Knowledge (TK) label and licensing.