There is growing interest in documenting the wealth of traditional knowledge (TK) that has been developed by indigenous peoples and local communities around the world. But documenting TK can raise important issues, especially as regards intellectual property. This Toolkit presents a range of easy-to-use checklists and other resources to help ensure that anyone considering a documentation project can address those issues effectively.

The Documentation Toolkit assists holders of traditional knowledge – in particular, indigenous peoples and local communities – in identifying and defending their intellectual property-related interests when their traditional knowledge is documented or otherwise recorded.

The Documentation Toolkit assists holders of traditional knowledge - in particular, indigenous peoples and local communities - in identifying and defending their intellectual property-related interests when their traditional knowledge is documented or otherwise recorded.

This Brief describes the main objectives of documenting traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, the intellectual property issues that may arise and options for addressing them.

There is growing interest in documenting the wealth of traditional knowledge (TK) that has been developed by indigenous peoples and local communities around the world. But documenting TK can raise important issues, especially as regards intellectual property. This Toolkit presents a range of easy-to-use checklists and other resources to help ensure that anyone considering a documentation project can address those issues effectively.

General information on the interface between intellectual property (IP) and traditional knowledge (TK), traditional cultural expressions (TCEs), and genetic resources (GRs). It briefly addresses the most important questions that arise when considering the role that IP principles and systems can play in protecting TK and TCEs from misappropriation, and in generating and equitably sharing benefits from their commercialization, and the role of IP in access to and benefit sharing in GRs.

This Brief introduces different options on intellectual property protection of traditional medical knowledge.