Abstract

The paper examines a particular kind of cultural districts, those based upon what has been defined as the «material culture» of a territory. Starting from the local availability of some specific resource, and evolving along the development of idiosincratic aspects centered around the cultural quality and identity of products, such cultural districts need a strong identification of the intellectual property rights arising from the crucial characteristics of their products. The paper selects three cases from the Italian experience: Langhe (wines), Caltagirone (pottery) and Murano (glass) in order to test the hypothesis of the convenience of adopting a collective brand able to reduce transaction costs. The discussion shows the different interest in creating such a collective brand, and of the entry and exit options for existing producers, according to the difference between the perceived quality of collective and individual products.