Anti-Copying In Design (ACID) has partnered with Heritage Crafts, allowing the two groups to work together in advocating for the protection of traditional craft skills, promoting ethical practices, raising awareness about the importance of these crafts in our society, and the importance of intellectual property underpinning it all.
Heritage Crafts is the national charity for traditional heritage crafts. Working in partnership with government and key agencies, it provides a focus for craftspeople, groups, societies and guilds, as well as individuals who care about the loss of traditional crafts skills, and works towards a healthy and sustainable framework for the future. It is a UNESCO accredited NGO for Intangible Cultural Heritage and advocate for UK ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention of the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which 180 of the 193 member states of UNESCO have already ratified.
ACID believes that by aligning its knowledge of IP with Heritage Crafts, it can provide a stronger platform for designers and craftspeople to showcase their work, connect with a wider audience, and strengthen IP rights.
‘Heritage Crafts is an inspirational organisation bringing together a diversity of truly talented individuals. Through our new partnership we hope to provide some tools of self-help and clarity on some of the intellectual property issues within the traditional crafts area rich in skill, originality, and innovation. The intellectual assets of these companies cannot be under-estimated, and we are delighted to be working closely as partners,’ says Dids Macdonald ACID ceo.
‘Craftspeople invest huge amounts of time, money, skill and creativity into their craft, and nothing is more disheartening than seeing other people immorally and illegally profiting from their hard work. There is still a lot of confusion and misinformation around what people can do to protect themselves, which is why we’re delighted to be partnering with the experts at ACID, to dispel the myths and help makers protect themselves,’ says Daniel Carpenter, Heritage Crafts executive director.
