This plain-language Community Guide is designed to assist Aboriginal people and communities wishing to partner with researchers who wish to learn about their cultural background, traditions and other information held by the community.

While this guide specifically relates to Aboriginal peoples in remote Australia, the principles and protocols it promotes could equally be applied to Torres Strait Islander knowledge.

It explains the sometimes complex issues of intellectual property rights in clear, transparent language and illustrates the process of reaching agreement about knowledge sharing in five vivid dot paintings by noted Aboriginal desert artists.

The Aboriginal Knowledge and Intellectual Property Protocol was developed by the Desert Knowledge CRC to facilitate the sharing of Aboriginal knowledge respectfully, for the betterment of Australia. The Community Guide states:

• Aboriginal people own their knowledge.
• All research that concerns Aboriginal people must respect Aboriginal culture and knowledge.
• Everyone should be equal in the research and have shared understandings.
• This Protocol makes sure that researchers who work with Aboriginal people and the DKCRC do the right thing.

It gives the traditional owners full control over how the knowledge can and can’t be used, and if there is to be any commercial use made of the knowledge, there must be a legal agreement and benefits must flow to the traditional owners involved in the research.

The guide can be downloaded (in PDF) from http://is.gd/3PoHL.