Intellectual property, traditional communities and intangible heritage in museums of science and technology

Abstract

The patrimonial conceptions which often imprisoned intangible cultural goods in the idea of "uses and customs without value for marketing", because the essence of preservation would be more important than its commoditization, have fallen apart in recent decades due to discussions promoting sustainability, reduction of economic informality, combating social exclusion and public policy development. It is proposed in this work that museums of science and technology in Brazil should act in the dissemination and popularization of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in society, involving government agencies, scientific institutions/universities in technological extension and directed to artisans' associations for information and training, ownership and the use of instruments that guarantee intellectual property rights in attaining  citizenship and the quality of individual and collective life. It is considered that the existence of different forms/designs of registry, when operating collaboratively, attracting the museum as an important ally in the popularization of STI can be more effective for the protection of products and know-how, complementing present gaps in legislation.