Ministry: Understanding IP value can boost local content competitiveness

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Deputy for Digital Creativity and Technology at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Muhammad Neil El Himam, stated that increasing understanding and appreciation of the value of intellectual property (IP) in local content can foster the creation of works capable of competing on the global stage.

“I believe that fostering a culture of respecting the IP of Indonesian creators is a necessity. This is one of the keys we must promote through regulatory policies to ensure the public understands that this is Indonesian-made; the community must provide more support,” Neil said during a panel discussion with Coda in Jakarta on Thursday.

He noted that, currently, content such as Indonesian-made games sells more effectively abroad because foreign cultures already understand and respect the intellectual property value of a work.

Low public awareness regarding the importance of protecting and respecting intellectual property rights remains one of the greatest challenges facing Indonesia’s creative industry.

Neil stated that Indonesia possesses significant capital to develop games based on local culture. The nation’s cultural richness, history, culinary heritage, and more than 700 regional languages can serve as sources of inspiration for game developers and represent promising economic assets.

Games featuring Indonesian themes, such as the history of the Majapahit and Sriwijaya empires or other local cultures, have the potential to attract global market interest while serving as educational tools through gamification.

“Therefore, we must encourage—not just to regulate, but more than that, to provide greater support to enable this ecosystem to flourish. Rather than just aiming for a US$2 billion market for the Indonesian gaming sector, why don’t we focus on creating US$2 million in exports within the gaming sector?” Neil concluded.