Conclusion
Culture, being the collective ideas, knowledge, traditions, and ways of doing things of a particular group of people, is intellectual property, and some aspects of it can be protected using current IP laws and treaties. Trademarks and copyrights have been used extensively to preserve some cultural icons, but individuals or companies, which may not be tied to that culture and may not have a vested interest in preserving that culture, own these intellectual property. This seemingly moral inequity is being addressed by the WIPO through its IGC who are trying to establish a treaty that will protect genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore, and help to resolve the issues of ownership and time restrictions on ownership. Until then, current treaties and conventions will have to be used to preserve those aspects of culture that it can.
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