The Arts Law Centre is a leading advocate for Indigenous artists. Its Artists in the Black service engages in advocacy and casework and has resulted in widespread benefits within the Indigenous art community with the aim of promoting Australian Indigenous art and ensuring copyright and other rights are upheld. Arts Law has advocated for better protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) through its participation at WIPO conferences and ongoing submissions to the Federal government to enact legislative reform on this issue. Arts Law actively participated in the deliberations which lead to the introduction of The Indigenous Art Code recognising that Indigenous visual artists from remote and regional areas are often substantially disadvantaged in commercial negotiations. It has developed best practice standards for businesses and public bodies dealing with Indigenous artists which are promoted through its sample agreements, best practice document review service and educational workshops.
Read Arts Law’s Cultural policy submission
Read Indigenous Intellectual Property Information Sheet

The Arts Law Centre of Australia (Arts Law) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the discussion on the growing presence of inauthentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘style’ art and craft products and merchandise for sale across Australia. In essence, our submission is that a prohibition on the sale of inauthentic products at all levels of the supply chain is the easiest and most efficient approach to address the problem.

Arts Law launched the Fake Art Harms Culture campaign in 2016, along with the Indigenous Art Code and the Copyright Agency. The campaign aims to stop the sale of inauthentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products and merchandise in Australia, as it harms culture, an income stream for artists and consumers.

We will be at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair calling on Government to respond to Federal MP Bob Katter's proposed bill to stop the fakes.

The Arts Law Centre of Australia and the Indigenous Art Code contacted Chanel to request an apology to Indigenous communities over their ‘boomerang’ product that was recently circulating on social media.

The Arts Law Centre of Australia, the Indigenous Art Code and Copyright Agency | Viscopy welcomed the proposed introduction of legislation to end the practice of the production and sale of art products and merchandise which misappropriates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture.The Arts Law Centre of Australia, the Indigenous Art Code and Copyright Agency | Viscopy today welcomed the proposed introduction of legislation to end the practice of the production and sale of art products and merchandise which misappropriates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture.

A great example of merchandise which has been designed with Aboriginal artists and produced overseas is the product developed in partnership with Warlukurlangu Artists’.

Bob Katter, federal member for Kennedy in Queensland, has thrown his support behind and the campaign to stop fake Indigenous art being sold in Australia.