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ARPO Policies
All the policy documents of ARPO
Mannankoothu : Performance and Songs
Mannan Koothu is a traditional ritualistic dance performance of the Mannan tribal community in Kerala, deeply rooted in the epic tale of Kannaki and Kovalan. More than a performance, it is a living expression of the community’s collective memory, spiritual bel...
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for Traditional Cultural Practitioners
Summary Notes from the Earthlore Fellows 2025 Workshop (Conducted by Senior Advocate Shyam Padman) This document outlines the core Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protections available under Indian Law, focusing on the rights over traditional folklore, ori...
Resources for Traditional Cultural Practitioners
Mannan Festivals
Rights over Traditional and Original Songs
Issue 1: What rights do they have over their traditional songs that have been passed down through generations? 1. Traditional Knowledge, Folklore, and Copyright Traditional songs/folklore often fall under the category of traditional cultural expressions ...
ARPO Organisational Policies
This outlines various policies of the Archival and Research Project (ARPO)
A Unique Governance System
The governance system of the Mannan community is unique, traditional, and deeply rooted in its cultural and spiritual beliefs. The King is the head of the community and presides over all major decisions, supported by a structured hierarchy of leaders and advis...
Original New Songs in Indigenous Languages
Issue 2: When they write new songs in their indigenous languages for films or other projects, who owns the copyright? When a musician writes an original new song (melody + lyrics) in an indigenous language, that is clearly an original musical work + lyric w...
MANNAN Tribe of Kerala
The Mannan tribe is largely found in Idukki’s Kumily Panchayat, with smaller groups living in Adimali and Devikulam. Though they were moved from their ancestral forest homes to the outskirts of the Periyar Tiger Reserve due to government regulations, they have...
ARPO Research
ARPO’s undertaking of Kerala Digital Archive, is to preserve and promote Kerala’s rich pluralistic cultural heritage, at risk of fragmentation. By creating a unified, accessible digital repository, we aim to safeguard tangible and intangible traditions for fut...
Protecting Collective Cultural Heritage & Individual Creative Workage
Objective Strategy / Mechanism Notes / Limitations Protecting traditional songs / community heritage Document in writing or audio/video, maintain archives and metadata about community origin and custodianship. Create cus...
PALIYAR Tribe of Kerala
The Paliyar are an indigenous tribal community of Kerala, primarily settled in Idukki district with a population of around 1,500 across seven panchayats. Once forest dwellers practicing shifting cultivation, they were resettled after the Mullaperiyar dam subme...
Festivals
Paliya Ulsavam is an annual festival celebrated by the Paliyar community in Kerala during the harvest season, typically in April. Historically, the festival coincided with the community’s agricultural cycle, functioning as a ritual of gratitude to their deitie...
Understanding Royalty
Issue: Many of them do not understand the concept of royalties or how it applies; they are often paid a one-time fee, which may be insufficient. Guidance Needed: 1. What is a royalty (in simple terms)? A royalty is a payment made to a copyright owner, based...
Legality of Contracts Giving Away "All Rights"
Issue: When they are presented with contracts stating that they have no further rights to their songs after one-time payment. Are such contracts enforceable? What options do they have? -------------------------------------- 1. Assigning / Transferring copyri...
Contracts & Other Practical Tips
Issue: They need to learn how to create simple contracts and invoices that protect their rights and avoid giving away their songs completely. --------------------------------------- 1. Why written contracts matter Oral agreements are weaker in enforceme...
Procurement Policy
PurposeThe purpose of this procurement policy is to ensure that all purchases made by The Archival and ResearchProjects (ARPO) are conducted ethically, transparently, and in compliance with applicable laws and donorrequirements. This policy aims to ensure fair...