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Cancellation demanded of all copyrights
Andra Wisnu , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Mon, 10/27/2008 1:02 PM | Bali
The Forum for Balinese Culture (FPBB) demands the government white-wash all copyrights of Balinese motifs given to foreign businessmen in order to allow Balinese artisans to work freely.
FPBB head Desak Nyoman Suarti said she and several officials in her organization would head to Jakarta to demand the copyright directorate general at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry absolve all copyright certificates of motifs that it deemed Bali's public property.
"We believe that most of the copyrights given were of artworks owned by Balinese people, so we believe the directorate general must cancel these copyright certificates,"Suarti said.
Her forum joined other voices of dissent toward copyright laws after the recent case of copyright infringement between the government and Denny Aryasa, a Balinese silver jewelry maker.
The government prosecuted Denny for infringing copyright laws in one of his designs, calledwhich prosecutors said belonged to John Hardy Ltd., an international jewelry company.
The court declared Denny not guilty earlier this month.
The case has created an uneasy atmosphere for Bali's artists, in turn stymieing their creativity, Suarti said.
Suarti, who in 1985 was sued for copyright infringement in a U.S. court and won, said Balinese artists were too scared to create new artworks after Denny's case made headlines.
Bali's economy depends heavily on its art and culture, and the island cannot afford to have artists that are too scared to work, Suarti said. "All we want is the freedom to be creative."
Nyoman Patra, FPBB deputy chief, urged the artistic community to consult with his organization on copyright law to prevent cases such as Denny's from happening again.
"The artistic community needs to build up participation in the issue of copyright. This is important because our people have been known to be complacent,"Patra said.
"Well we can't afford to be complacent."
FPBB is made up of seven art-related associations, including Bali's association of silver craftsmen, Bali's association of interior designers and Bali's sculptor association.
The issues of copyrights law and the recent case of Denny Aryasa have prompted numerous debates over how to protect Balinese artists.
