Traditional craft, with rich legacy, conferred on to the new generations by their ancestors from eight centuries-old tie-and-dye Ikat, popularly known as 'bandha kala' of Orissa has, joined an privileged club under the domain of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) law recently.
In fact, the first handloom product to be registered under the anti-duplication law was Kotpad fabric, which uses dye sourced from a tree while Ikat got Orissa its second and India its tenth.
With the formal certification, Ikat comes under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
State Government is optimistic that the registration under IPR can help arrest the trend by the help of increased mechanization, the traditional craft has been duplicated with cheap and low-quality materials.
An enforcement cell will keep vigil to tab on duplication of the craft.
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