The Challenges in Protecting Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Comparative Analysis of Pakistani Laws with WIPO Policy

Abstract

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) protection is very important issue when discussing the approach of cultural diversity and identity in the context of globalization. Although the international instruments like the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) present recommendations, the national law system still struggles to put in practice. This paper looks at the challenges of the protection of ICH in Pakistan through the prism of the legal framework, with which it is possible to compare the policies of WIPO. The paper identifies the loop holes within the laws of Pakistan, bureaucracy, and the community in terms of preserving ICH, and also discusses possible ways to address those gaps. Based on a comparative assessment, this paper analyzes the effectiveness of the Pakistani laws and compares it to the WIPO standards and provides policy recommendations so as to align better the Pakistani practices with global best practices.