Aboriginal Art: Copyright

The Aboriginal Art Galerie Bähr has obtained the necessary written permission from artists or their agents for the presentation of reproductions of their works in the internet.

The art works of the Aborigines are especially protected by copyright law. Firstly, the usual international copyright law applies. This forbids any reproduction or distribution in any form (electronic, photographic, etc) without the written permission of the artist, independent of who owns the art work itself.

Furthermore, following a decision of the Australian Supreme Court in 1994, the symbols used to represent the theme of a painting are protected in the same way. This means that no segment of a painting may be cut out, enlarged, simplified or distorted, since this would represent distortion and damage of the aboriginal culture.

The Aboriginal Art Galerie Bähr is glad to assist organisations in obtaining the necessary permission from artists.