I feel we can create a task force or core group (if not already done) to take up this matter on a war footing. Of course catalysing the process at each step is an essential ingredient.
I being an IPR Researcher & Consultant, but more than that an "IPR Activist", feel really strongly about this issue and would be glad to contribute in any way to this effort. Whether its by spreading awareness on these issues in the general public by writing articles or by conducting campaigns /workshops spread out widely, so as to penetrate a huge segment of society or in helping formulate a roadmap & strategy.
We also need to sensitize ALL stakeholders. And it’s not just a "Kutch Embroidery" or a "Banarasi silk brocade" that is facing threat from "fakes", but it’s the whole range of traditional crafts of our country which need this IP protection on an urgent basis. In fact during my speech at NID at the WIPO-NID seminar last month, I had even suggested that we create a "CKDL" -a "Cultural Knowledge Digital Library", to document the traditional Knowledge associated with this sector, which is nothing but cultural knowledge. Documentation is the first step towards IP protection. India's TKDL is an example for documenting the bio-diversity related traditional knowledge.
We need a similar effort for the knowledge in the cultural industries sector. Once this artisanal TK is documented, it will create the much needed base for IP protection by means of different IPR mechanisms.
