Public urged not to wave the white flag on Indigenous copyright saga
TERRITORIANS are being encouraged to proudly wear red, yellow and black fly the Aboriginal flag this weekend, despite concerns it could breach copyright laws
Northern Territory
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TERRITORIANS are being encouraged to turn up to this weekend’s AFL Indigenous Round matches in red, black and yellow clothing and proudly flying the Aboriginal flag, despite concerns it could breach copyright laws.
Indigenous rights advocate Michael Long said it was up to the government to make a change and the people to stand up for what was right.
“We just want the Prime Minister and government to intervene and put it in its rightful place where it should be,” Mr Long told the NT News yesterday.
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“We just hope a lot of people come to the ground and support it wearing the Indigenous colours and protest against what’s happening and as we’ve always said it’s not about Indigenous Australians or white Australians, it’s about all Australians.”
Fellow advocate Nova Peris said there was no logical reason as to why the flag should be held to copyright ransom.
“We’re calling on the government to fix it, we’re calling on the governor-general, who proclaimed it in 1995, you’ve got the power to make the rules and we just want the Aboriginal flag to have the same rights as the Australian flag,” she said.
“How do you copyright something that represents a race of people, how do you copyright our pride, how do you copyright our history and our values and everything we stand for?”
Another prominent Indigenous rights advocate, who did not want to be named for fear he could be taken to court, said he would proudly fly a flag he created himself merging the Australian, Territory and Indigenous flags, and encouraged other Territorians to show their Indigenous pride at this weekend’s matches.
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“I’ve spoken to a couple of people yesterday and this morning and they said ‘what if they get us on camera, find out who we are and take us to court?’ I don’t think they’ll do that because they’ll have a fight on their hands for sure,” he said. “Those ones who have got clothing, flags and hats, I’m sure they should be able to use them.”
The rights to the flag are owned by WAM, who bought it in 2018 and now charge fees for its use.
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