While works by individual artists are protected by copyright, there are often no legal rights around the broader reproduction and use of Indigenous cultural heritage material. That is where the Australia Council for the Arts’ protocol guides come in.

 

These five guides written by Terri Janke in 2007 spell out clearly the legal as well as the ethical and moral considerations for the use of Indigenous cultural material. They can help people do the right thing. These guides recognise that in Indigenous Australian communities the artist is a custodian of culture, with obligations as well as privileges.

 

The five guides in the suite are Media arts; Music; Performing arts; Visual arts; Writing