This article examines the intensification of inter-‘national’ and international cultural contestations over intellectual property rights (IPRs). Examples are given of disputes over biological materials and their commercial use in biotechnology and natural products, and concepts of culture, properly and fair return. These disputes are also about culture and political liberalism. Corporate stakeholders, governments, indigenous peoples’ organisations (IPOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are involved in democratic, and with some exceptions, lawful political activity to secure law reform.