This week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the federal government had made the Aboriginal flag ‘freely available for public use’. What does this mean from a legal standpoint?
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The Aboriginal flag cannot just be ‘freed’. It is an emblem of our emotion, our loves and losses. It holds our faith, our hope and our future.
The Senate has just announced an inquiry into the use of the Aboriginal flag. Unlike other flags, it is still protected by copyright.
As the flag’s copyright owner, Luritja artist Harold Thomas has the right to grant licences to whomever he pleases. Asking the government to buy back his copyright licence could be seen as an appropriation of Aboriginal property rights.
