Robyn Ayres* reports on the Perth Arts Law Week. First published in ART+law, March 2008.
Always one to make the most of an opportunity, when asked to present at the National Consumer Congress in March, I saw the trip as the perfect occasion to provide some Arts Law seminars for Perth-based artists and arts organisations. So over three days Arts Law presented eight seminars on a range of issues including intellectual property, contracts, festivals and events, Indigenous intellectual property issues, film law basics and online issues for artists. I also squeezed in a session for arts students at WAAPA at Edith Cowan University. The sessions were well attended given the short lead time and thanks must go to our friends in Perth for their promotional efforts including Arts WA, Art Source, PICA, the FTI and ECU. I would also like to thank lawyers David Smith of Talbot Olivier and Joan Peters for helping with the film seminar, Jo Brown and Chris Richardson for their Viscopy presentation to Indigenous community members and Robynne Quiggin for her paper on consumer protection issues in relation to Indigenous artists. The sessions were very well received and in all 240 people from the arts and Indigenous communities attended over the three days.
*Robyn Ayres is the Executive Director of Arts Law.
