Agencies work to protect local PNG designs, styles

By MELYNE BAROI
COMMERCIALISING traditional art and craft is a sensitive issue and needs proper management by the relevant agencies to ensure trademark laws are adhered to and traditional knowledge preserved, says National Cultural Commission (NCC) executive director Steven Kilanda.
In a joint effort to monitor and manage traditional styles and designs, the NCC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) in Port Moresby.
Kilanda said this following public concerns about the proliferation of copy-paste traditional designs on fabric in local markets.
“It is important for each design owner to be recognised and must have consent in having their design used by businesses,” he said.
“Traditional designs in Papua New Guinea belong to a group, a community and a tribe.”
“They have special meanings and uses and so when entering commercial businesses there must be consent between the original owners and the retailers and that is what the National Cultural policy 2022 encompasses.”
IPA managing director Clarence Hoot said the National Cultural Policy was in line with IPA’s intellectual property strategy.
“Through the Intellectual Property Office of PNG, we (IPA) will be supporting NCC in addressing issues surrounding misappropriation and misrepresentation of traditional knowledge and cultural expression,” he said.
“The National Cultural policy is in line with our intellectual property strategy which we will use to manage and monitor arts and cultural industries including sports and that define our part in the MOU.”
Hoot said that small-to-medium enterprise (SME) owners needed to be aware of this law.
“We are want to safeguard the supply chain to make sure that credit is given where is due with all copyrights and trademark reserved and the traditional knowledge and cultural expression is preserved,” he said.