INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND ITS IMPACT ON INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE SAFEGUARDING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN HAND WEAVING IN AKHMIM (EGYPT) AND POCHAMPALLY (INDIA)

Abstract

[EN] Traditional crafts are one of the elements of intangible cultural heritage that all countries of the world seek to preserve and protect and Being currently enlisted in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, the traditional hand weaving in southern Egypt faces the danger of extinction. This article aims to explore the potential impact of Intellectual Property (IP) in safeguarding the traditional hand weaving in Akhmim and elevating its status from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding into the representative list. To achieve this objective, a comparative study was conducted between Akhmim city in Egypt and Pochampally village in India, considering their shared cultural heritage but different approaches in utilizing IP tools to preserve their respective weaving traditions. Intellectual Property (IP) tools have been effectively utilized in Pochampally to safeguard their traditional hand weaving, whereas in Akhmim, the utilization of such tools has been lacking. The study employed a qualitative research approach by conducting four semistructured interviews with four Egyptian experts from public, private, and non-governmental organizations, all focused on the sustainable development of Egyptian handicraft clusters. The study revealed that traditional hand weaving in Akhmim is significantly underperforming, leading to its inclusion in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Previous interventions by international and local organizations primarily focused on product quality enhancement and diversification, overlooking the crucial role that IP tools can play in safeguarding Akhmim's traditional hand weaving.Furthermore, the study highlighted that making full use of IP tools is the most needed intervention for the safeguarding of Akhmim's traditional hand weaving at this time. It emphasized that IP tools can turn the main challenges faced by Akhmim hand-weavers into opportunities for growth. The study identified nine areas where IP tools can play a significant role in the development of traditional hand-weaving. These areas were classified into three main themes: productrelated, craftsmen-related, and customer-related.