Who Owns Batik Motifs? Cultural Justice and the Protection of Traditional Batik Communities in Central Java

Abstract

Batik occupies a central position in Indonesian cultural identity and has become a major creative industry. However, the commercialization and mass reproduction of traditional motifs raise questions concerning cultural ownership, attribution, and economic benefit-sharing. This article examines the protection of traditional batik communities in Central Java from a cultural justice perspective. Using normative juridical research, the study analyzes intellectual property law, traditional cultural expressions, cultural heritage protection, and creative-industry regulation. The article argues that traditional batik motifs often emerge from collective and historical processes that cannot easily be attributed to a single creator. Consequently, conventional intellectual property protection may fail to adequately recognize the communities that have preserved and developed these traditions. The study proposes a layered protection model distinguishing community-held traditional motifs from newly created individual artistic works. The framework includes attribution requirements, collective benefit-sharing, geographical recognition, and mechanisms to challenge misleading claims of cultural ownership. The article also examines the role of local governments in supporting traditional batik producers against unfair commercial competition. Strengthening community-centered protection would allow batik commercialization to generate economic opportunities without disconnecting commercial value from the communities responsible for maintaining the tradition.