KLIB Convention 2009 Speakers

BATIK. Presevation and Copyrights Issues

by Abdul Kareem b Said Khadaied
Founding member of the World Batik Council

This paper shall examine the legal and commercial status of batik, as an art form and as a commercial enterprise from the point of the acts of parliment and the current commercial and industrial practice.

It shall examine Akta 222 in greater detail and take a look a critical look at efforts in presevation of the craft undertaken by both NGO and statutary bodies.

It shall also examine the some challenges and realities of the industry, so as to highlight the industry, potential and at the same time problems relating to presevation. Of significant is the production of exclusive pieces done by the traditional batik process, as opposed to the need for mass production of similiar design for a bigger demand, like Uniform for IPTA and the likes. It shall also examine issue of design rights volation/protection in so far as the artist is concern, in relation to the course of business with government agencies, design houses and foreign buyers

This paper shall also examine in some detail, issues retalating to the protection of design copyright done by the batik method. It shall draw from personal experience of taking some major textile gaints in Malaysia to court for copyright violations.

The paper closes with some recomendation to protect the industry further and to embark on efforts to protect designs rights of batik pratitioners.