Structured Legal Framework Must Protect Indigenous Intellectual Wealth

World | Indigenous Rights | Intellectual Property

Unlike tangible artefacts that can be physically transported back to their place of origin, intellectual property theft is a deeply insidious crime, often veiled under legal loopholes, creative expression, media wordplay, globalisation, and the pervasive influence of multinational corporations, writes Gajanan Khergamker.

The recent return of stolen artefacts worth millions from the United States to India marks a commendable step towards repatriating tangible heritage. However, it is but a fragment of a much larger issue that looms globally—one that involves the theft, exploitation, and misappropriation of intellectual property from indigenous peoples and cultures.