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
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Arts Law & Artists in the Black go on Outreach
Arts Law CEO, Robyn Ayres, and King & Wood Mallesons pro bono lawyers, John Swinson and Karen Litherland travelled to remote Northern Territory earlier this month to visit three First Nations art centres.
Visiting the art centres of Jilamara and Munupi on Melville Island and Bula’bula Arts in Ramingining, Arnhem Land, Robyn, John and Karen worked with local artists and art centre managers to assist with contracts, draft wills and deliver education workshops.
Fake Art Harms Culture: Arts Law’s Submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry
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.
Fake Art Harms Culture Campaign: inauthentic art inquiry
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.
Media Release: Fake Art Harms Culture - what action is Government taking?
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.
Chanel Should Apologise for ‘Boomerang’
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.
Media Release: A Step Forward to Stop the Fakes
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.
Bob Katter MP Takes Fake Art Harms Culture to Parliament
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.