Yasmon, Director of Cooperation, Empowerment and Education at Indonesia's Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) under the Ministry of Law, spoke for Indonesia and the Like-Minded Countries at the 53rd session of WIPO's Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC), held in Geneva in hybrid format from 16 to 25 September. According to the ministry's statement of 21 September, Indonesia is pushing to accelerate discussion of an effective and balanced international legal instrument to protect traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions against misappropriation and misuse. The Like-Minded Countries welcomed the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge adopted in 2024 and support faster implementation through international cooperation, technical assistance and capacity building for developing countries.
Yasmon said the framework is meant to protect shared cultural heritage and that the group will keep engaging constructively, covering both the cultural and the economic value of traditional knowledge.
This is not a change to the Madrid, PCT or Hague filing systems, but it is a strand of WIPO rule-making worth following: the genetic resources treaty has already written disclosure of origin in patent applications into an international treaty, an instrument on traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions is the next target, and Indonesia, as spokesperson for the developing-country group, is making prevention of misappropriation and misuse the core demand. For companies sourcing raw materials, developing natural products or using ethnic cultural elements in South-East Asia, this will set the future compliance boundary. J&C recommends that companies sourcing natural materials in Indonesia or developing products based on traditional recipes or ethnic patterns document the origin of any genetic resources and traditional knowledge involved now, so that evidence is ready for future disclosure and benefit-sharing requirements in patent filings; those using batik, ikat or other traditional cultural expressions in branding or product design should avoid copying community-protected motifs outright and watch whether Indonesia tightens its traditional knowledge database and licensing requirements as a result.
