Ministry: Understanding IP value can boost local content competitiveness

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy for Digital Creativity and Technology at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Muhammad Neil El Himam, stated that improving understanding of valuing intellectual property (IP) in local content can encourage the creation of works capable of competing on the global stage. “So I think a culture of respecting the IP of Indonesian creators is a must. This is one of the keys we must push in regulatory policy to make the public understand this is made in Indonesia, the public must be more supportive,” Neil said during a panel discussion with Coda in Jakarta on Thursday. He noted that content such as Indonesian-made games has been selling better abroad because foreign cultures already understand and appreciate the value of a work’s intellectual property. The low public awareness of the importance of protecting and respecting intellectual property rights (IP) is one of the biggest challenges facing Indonesia’s creative industry. Neil said Indonesia has significant capital to develop games based on local culture. The wealth of culture, history, cuisine, and more than 700 regional languages can be a source of inspiration for game developers and represents a promising economic asset. Games that raise Indonesian themes, such as the history of the Majapahit and Sriwijaya kingdoms or other local cultures, have the potential to attract global market interest while serving as educational tools through gamification. “So we must encourage, not to regulate but more than that, to provide more support to enable this ecosystem to happen. Instead of trying to achieve 2 billion US dollars for the Indonesian game market, why don’t we create 2 million dollars in exports in the game sector,” Neil said.