Protection of intangible cultural heritage through intellectual property: the case of the Barranquilla Carnival

A few years ago, the Barranquilla Carnival was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage for the nation and the humanity. For this reason, this festival become much better known by the world and is considerate an economic and social source for the development of the region. Since the commercialization of the carnival can bring their denaturation and the loss of its identity, this article pretends to present how the Intellectual Property can contribute to their exploitation and, at the same time, contribute to its preservation and conservation.