Virtual courses on intellectual property management for residents of Taimyr

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Reindeer Herders of the World, the Russian-led Arctic Council and the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat have developed a joint training program on cultural documentation and intellectual property management for indigenous peoples in the Arctic.

Online classes will begin on December 6. During ten days of the course, students will gain a basic understanding of the basic principles and tools of the intellectual property system, how they relate to indigenous peoples and communities, and the potential value that intellectual property can bring to support traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.

The organizers of the courses have established individual scholarships for students – the indigenous inhabitants of the region. Upon graduation, the Taimyr people will be able to receive grants for the development of the territory and the preservation of the culture of the indigenous ethnic groups of the North. The Arctic Council will help them in this.

Today, thanks to the emergence of new technologies, the increased consciousness of people and with the support of the international community, which declares the importance of preserving and protecting culture, the documentation of cultural heritage sites is taking place on an unprecedented scale. In particular, the Arctic Council provides assistance to the indigenous peoples of the Arctic in projects to digitize their linguistic and cultural heritage. The aim of all these endeavors is to preserve and develop native languages, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

Speaking about the importance of the new training program, the organizers of the virtual courses noted that “few initiatives take into account intellectual property issues. Whether it is due to lack of attention, awareness, knowledge, skills or interest, the consequences can be dramatic for documented cultural heritage and its bearers.”

Participation in the development and launch of the joint project was also taken by the UNESCO International Chair “Adaptation of Society and Man in the Arctic Regions in the Conditions of Climate Change and Globalization” of the North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov.