Bali- the island of thousand temples (literally!); an epitome of cultural richness, brings to the mind historic statues, temples, monuments, etc. with intricate designs and spectacular motifs. Bali is known globally, for its cultural variety such as the sacred dances of rejang dewa and topeng tua, the Titi Banda Statue, Bajra Sandhi Monument and much more. Travellers revel amongst numerous stories related to various gods, kings and queens at almost every cross road! As for the locals, they are said to respect their cultural practices just as much as their livelihood. Incidentally, tourism is a major source of income for Bali.
For such places, where travel and tourism is a dominant source of income, protecting their uniqueness, sanctity and authenticity becomes very important. Recently, Bali's administration has decided to regulate Bali's cultural assets from being pirated. The regulations would protect various cultural activities, structures, dances, music, which can be attributed to Bali, from being misused without authorisation.
Recent reports suggest that Malaysia once used one of Bali's famous dance forms as a part of its own promotional campaign.
It is also reported that the proposed regulation obliges the Bali administration to facilitate copyrighting all Balinese heritage objects, as well as provide funding for local artists and craftsmen that produce such objects. Funding for copyright protection of heritage objects will also be provided by local craftsman and artisans.
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Compiled by: Adv. Sachi Kapoor | Concept & Edited by: Dr. Mohan Dewan
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