There was quite a bit of flack directed at the man who owns the copyright of the Indigenous flag when the AFL announced they would not be painting on the playing surface during this weeks Indigenous round.

Having looked at the circumstances I tend to side with the owner. He is more than happy if people want to make their own flags using his design but is insisting on royalties if money is being made from it.

The flag is indeed one of the three recognised as our nations flags. Should that make a difference?

the man who owns the copyright of the Indigenous flag
SteeleRedux,
What do we know about him. Is he indigenous ? If not, why has he the copyright ? I'd have thought the flag was indigenous in every aspect !

Dear individual,

FYI.

"The Australian Aboriginal Flag was designed in 1971 by Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas, who is descended from the Luritja people of Central Australia and holds intellectual property rights to the flag's design. The flag was originally designed for the land rights movement, and it became a symbol of the Aboriginal people of Australia."

"After consultation with its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council, the AFL did not enter into a commercial agreement with WAM in 2020, in line with general Aboriginal sentiment on the issue. In August 2020, Ken Wyatt, Minister for Indigenous Australians, said that he would love to see the flag freely used across Australia, and former AFL player Michael Long said its absence would have a negative effect on the players in the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round. Wyatt encouraged spectators to bring flags to the games, beginning in Darwin on 22 August 2020."
Wikipedia

SteeleRedux,
I'm afraid I can't fathom what the problem is with displaying the flag ! After all, didn't he design it for his people ? Aren't the Sir Douglas Nicholls games for the indigenous ?
Is it because football is not a traditional indigenous activity ?
I'm at a loss about the whole bizo !

Australia should not be promoting two nations with two different flags. If abborigines want their own nation and flag let them fight for it all over again, not have it handed to them on a plate. History is what happened and native title and land-rights are sufficient. I feel no guilt for being a fifth generation Australian or that my ancestors fought for their foothold in this land, killing and being killed. I am a part of a silent majority holding this view, a will not change. No culture can claim to own an entire continet it can't defend.

Thanks for the thread Steele, I was discussing the subject with the wife whose people have their own flag in Aotearoa. She used the subject for yesterdays monthly Sunday (online Google Meet) talk. She was very surprised that the Aboriginal flag is being treated as a commercial object, she not being familiar with its past history. Flags in general are seen as a symbol of unity, sometimes for the good, but recently in the US the Confederate flags has been used as a symbol of racial division, as it always has been. The extreme right often wrap themselves in "the flag" thus disguising their perverted hatreds as patriotism in the way the Nazi's did in Germany, the Nazi's were very big on flag waving. My first encounter with a flag was as a young child, have a small Australian flag thrust into my hand and then told; "children wave your flags now" as a big black car sped by. I believe the Queen of England was the occupant. Why I was waving the Aussie flag at a Pom, I don't know, maybe they were out of Pommie flags at the time.

Come in Joe, an Aboriginal flag maker from way back.