Image via Funoas
On Wednesday evening, a panel discussion was held on the drop-in chat application Clubhouse, whereby panelists probed the issue of artistic rights and copyrighting the Maldives.
The discussion, hosted by the club ‘Artahtakaa’, was organised by Sumii Haleem (@funoas on Instagram, @somsickle on Clubhouse), Nadee Rachey (@n_r_rachey on Instagram) and Amani Naseem (@amaninaseem on Clubhouse and Twitter). It was moderated by Sumii Haleem and Saazu Saeed (@saazusaeed on Clubhouse, @alohasaazu on Twitter).
Speakers who engaged in the chat included:
- Mohamed Seeneen – @seeneenphotography (Instagram)
- Sumii Haleem – @funoas (Instagram) and @somsickle (Clubhouse)
- Angel Shujau – @famushuboutique (Instagram)
- Riyaa and Faya – @weartoddy (Instagram)
- Hassan Shameem – @askhasn (Twitter)
- Shimhaq Ali – @shimhaq (Instagram)
- Fathimath Salah – @islandbazaar (Instagram)
- Shuau – @obofili (Clubhouse, Instagram, Twitter)
- Fazail Lutfi – @fazaillutfi (Clubhouse, Instagram, Twitter)
- Yusree Jaleel – @kandumathi (Instagram)
The conversation largely focused on the creative culture of the Maldives, and how the issue of copyrighting comes into play in a country where legal protection afforded to its artists is still relatively scant.
While some argued that certain instances of copying may very well be unintentional or may have to do with poor education, others contended that it may also be in part due to the unwillingness of artists to share correct information with one another, perhaps as a result of clashes in competitive spirit.
As mentioned in the discussion, the Copyright & Related Rights Act of 2010 does protect various literary and artistic works that fall under the intellectual and professional domain in the Maldives. However, the overall consensus among the speakers was that greater public awareness is necessary to mitigate the detrimental impacts of plagiarism on local artists and artisans.