Praneeta Prakash 
[File Photo]
Cultural expressions belong to local communities and should not be claimed or exploited without their consent, says Barrister and Solicitor and owner of Oceania Intellectual Property.
Pita Niubalavu made the comments while making submissions on the Trademarks (Amendment) Bill before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
He says there is a need to safeguard cultural expressions that belong to local communities.
Niubalavu is calling for amendments to the Bill to formally recognize and protect cultural expression.
“In regard to anything that deals with, that uses cultural expressions or expressions that belong to a local community. Intellectual property honours the rights of creators and also allows creators to benefit economically from what they’ve created.”
The Standing Committee is expected to incorporate these considerations as it finalises its recommendations on the Trademarks (Amendment) Bill for Parliament’s approval.
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