TK has also moved towards the center of policy debate about intellectual property (IP). This leads to some challenging questions. Is the IP system compatible with the values and interests of traditional communities – or does it privilege individual rights over the collective interests of the community? Can IP bolster the cultural identity of indigenous and local communities, and give them greater say in the management and use of their TK? Has the IP system been used to misappropriate TK, failing to protect the interests of indigenous and local communities? What can be done – legally, practically – to ensure that the IP system functions better to serve the interests of traditional communities? What forms of respect and recognition of TK would deal with concerns about TK and give communities the tools they need to safeguard their interests? With these questions in mind, WIPO started to work on TK in 1998. The first step was to listen directly to TK holders, learning of the needs and expectations of some 3,000 representatives of TK-holding communities in sixty locations around the world. Their insights and perspectives still guide WIPO’s work. The WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (“IGC”) was established in 2001 as an international policy forum. WIPO’s work therefore ranges from the international dimension of TK and cooperation with other international agencies, to capacity building and the pooling of practical experience in this complex area. This booklet gives an overview of this work, discusses some key concepts and describes various national approaches to protecting TK against misuse or misappropriation.