The last ten years has seen the development of intellectual property protocols for Indigenous knowledge protection. These protocols cover a matrix of interests and audiences and range from the specific to the more general. Protocols are context driven policy and provide guidelines for behavior. In this sense they function to change people’s understanding of an issue, and in this context they seek to encourage reflective behavior when it comes to Indigenous knowledge use and misuse. This paper will explore the pragmatic utility of protocols. As protocols are not dependent upon the adoption of new legislation, it is possible for them to be driven by contextual needs as well as responsive to changing expectations of law. Protocols provide one innovative tool for the protection of Indigenous knowledge. The paper will discuss this current trend; considering what works, and what doesn’t, and why protocols offer a practical possibility for protecting contextual and community generated knowledge and knowledge practice.