Geographical Indications as an Alternative to Seeking Intellectual Property Rights for Tenun

Abstraksi

With the growing demand and advertising of Tenun in both domestic and international markets, there is a shift in the previously traditional and cultural activity of weaving to economic activity of handmade woven, making it susceptible to competition. This newly found opportunity/threat is especially felt by the micro and small enterprises that comprise of female dominated groups of weavers, and has attracted a request for the protection of intellectual property. The intellectual property seeks to grant ownership to the author of the original work. Interviews with related stakeholders have suggested that this effort of gaining intellectual property for Tenun faces a big challenge with regards to finding the first author of the work. Taking consideration of the nature of the weaving rituals, this challenge could be worsened as we realize the historical background and cultural interaction of the ever growing borderless ASEAN communities. This paper aims to raise a question if the intellectual property right is what we need to support the Tenun industry in Indonesia, and propose geographical indications as the alternative. This discussion is based on a research on home-creative Tenun industry conducted in East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara, and viewed from the perspective of Micro-Small-and Medium Enterprises in Indonesia and the integrated communities of ASEAN.