NatLaw Celebrates Native American Heritage Month

To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, we would like to shine a light on a project that we will be launching toward the end of this month.

We recognize that Native American communities in the U.S. and Central America are victims of IP theft related to their traditional knowledge and artistic designs. Textile weavers develop textile designs used by international fashion designers without receiving monetary compensation. IP legal systems are slow, fragmented, domestic, and inefficient to protect intellectual property. These communities lack effective access to capital due to the lack of legal protection over their intellectual property.

So, we will be developing a digital certificate backed by blockchain technology that would provide the creator with full proof of first use or creation of IP for handmade textiles made by indigenous weavers. A smart contract can store the biometric identity of the owner, the timestamp of when it was issued, and the graphic design. It also supports Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) and builds capacity within women textile weavers on how to use digital blockchain certificates, QR codes, and NFTs.

Stay tuned for more updates on this project and more activities that we will be hosting in the near future to highlight the importance of protecting the IP rights of indigenous weavers and artists.