Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, or ICIP, refers to all aspects of First Nations peoples’ cultural heritage, including the tangible and intangible. ICIP should be protected, and used and shared with respect.

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About ICIP

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) refers to all aspects of First Nations peoples’ cultural heritage, including the tangible and intangible. First Nations peoples have rights to maintain, control, protect and develop their ICIP. There are strategies that everyone can put in place to safeguard ICIP.

Respectful use and sharing of ICIP

ICIP has cultural significance to First Nations peoples and must be respected.

Practical ways to protect ICIP

Organisations and individuals can safeguard ICIP by using a variety of tools, including intellectual property laws, contracts, copyright notices, licensing agreements, and community-led protocols. These measures empower First Nations people to maintain control over ICIP while building trust, supporting ethical partnerships, and strengthening business relationships.

We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways, and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions. We are privileged to gather on this Country and to share knowledge, culture and art, now and with future generations.

Art by Jordan Lovegrove