ABSTRACT
In 2006, and again in 2013 in a second edition, I wrote an intellectual property management guide for museums, which was published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Part II, and in particular Chapter 6 (Pantalony 2013), were devoted to identifying potential business opportunities for museums in relation to defined museum-related intellectual property. Museums have tiptoed around this issue, and museum administrators have often asked that their points of view be held in confidence – and if made public at all, provided only anonymously. Representatives of various cultural heritage institutions have been known to speak about this issue in hushed tones, stating: ‘You know, it’s controversial …’ Why does this subject cause such discomfort in the museum community, and amongst its professionals and scholars?
