Indian Arts and Crafts Board and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Release New Intellectual Property Protection Brochure

WASHINGTON, DC — The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB), an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, has released a new intellectual property rights protection brochure, created in collaboration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and entitled Introduction to Intellectual Property for American Indian and Alaskan Native Artists.

The brochure provides an introduction to the various intellectual property rights protections –trademarks, copyright, design patents, trade secrets - afforded to American Indian and Alaskan Native artists and artisans. Intellectual property protection is important to every business, including American Indian and Alaskan Native artists, and this brochure will help teach artists and artisans how they can protect their intellectual property, economic livelihood, and cultural heritage.

If you would like additional copies of the brochure, they can be obtained by calling the IACB toll free at 1-888-278-3253, or through email at iacb@ios.doi.gov. The brochure can also be viewed on the IACB's website at www.iacb.doi.gov.

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The IACB, a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, was established by Congress in 1935. Its dual mission is to promote authentic Native American art and craftwork of members of federally recognized Tribes, as well as to implement and enforce the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which makes it illegal to fraudulently market art and craftwork as Indian made when it is not made by an Indian as defined by the Act.

The USPTO is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce and, as its principal missions, grants patents, registers trademarks and provides advice to the Administration on the full range of intellectual property issues, including copyright and enforcement as well as patent and trademark issues. Through its Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA), the USPTO provides training to U.S. small businesses on intellectual property issues, including outreach to American Indian and Alaskan Native artists in cooperation with the IACB.