Lalampa, a favourite iftar dish, granted communal intellectual property protection

Ternate (ANTARA) — Lalampa, a traditional processed food that features on the list of favourite iftar dishes for the people of North Maluku during Ramadan, has been registered as communal intellectual property (IP) from the region.

The Head of the North Maluku Regional Office of the Ministry of Law, Budi Argap Situngkir, said in Ternate on Sunday that North Maluku possesses a diverse range of communal IP potential, including indications of origin, traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, geographical indication potential, and genetic resources — all of which are now registered as communal IP.

Argap explained that an indication of origin is a mark or label denoting the country or region of origin of a good or product, without being linked to natural environmental factors.

According to official data, lalampa has been registered as communal IP under the Indication of Origin category from the Sula Islands, with registration certificate number IA822025000055 in the database of the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) under the Ministry of Law.

Meanwhile, Fatma, a trader selling lalampa around Gamalama Market, said that lalampa has become a favourite traditional food among the people of North Maluku.

“Especially during the fasting month, lalampa is in very high demand and sells out quickly,” said Fatma, adding that her daily profits can reach hundreds of thousands of rupiah.

A lalampa buyer in Ternate, Fadli, said that lalampa is his family’s favourite iftar dish.

Beyond its delicious taste, it has become a generational tradition — lalampa must be present on the dining table at iftar.