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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Lorena Allam

Deal to ‘free’ Aboriginal flag welcomed – but questions remain

Indigenous artist Harold Thomas signs an agreement to transfer copyright of the Aboriginal flag to the commonwealth.
Indigenous artist Harold Thomas signs an agreement to transfer copyright of the Aboriginal flag to the commonwealth. Photograph: David Hancock

Campaigners who fought to “free” the Aboriginal flag have welcomed the federal government’s $20m deal to buy out the private companies who held exclusive licences over its use and charged Aboriginal community groups for permission.

But they say questions remain about its future custodianship, now that copyright rests with the commonwealth, and are asking exactly how much public money the non-Indigenous businesses were paid to relinquish their control.

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