Top of page

Category: Intangible Cultural Heritage

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Folklife at the International Level: Traditional Cultural Expressions as Intellectual Property

Posted by: Michelle Stefano

In the first of the “Folklife at the International Level” series, I ended with a glimpse into the complex issues that arise when intellectual property (IP) protection is sought for “traditional cultural expressions,” or “TCEs,” the terminology used by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). On its website, WIPO describes such expressions as including “music, …

Posted in: Intangible Cultural Heritage, WIPO

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Folklife at the International Level: World Intellectual Property Day

Posted by: Stephen Winick

The following is a guest post by AFC Folklife Specialist Michelle Stefano.   I recently began researching the history of the American Folklife Center’s engagement with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and its efforts in protecting intellectual property (IP) and promoting its importance at international and national levels. Over the past 15 years, AFC …

Posted in: Intangible Cultural Heritage, WIPO