Monday, June 30, 2025

Senate considers fines to punish unauthorized use of indigenous designs

The Senate is considering a measure that would impose fines for the unauthorized use of indigenous designs on clothing and other products.

The proposal being discussed by the Senate culture commission would penalize the theft of indigenous cultural elements with fines up to 4.2 million pesos (US $218,000).

It also proposes that the state grant indigenous communities the collective right to ownership of their culture and identity.

Brands such as Carolina Herrera, Dior, Isabel Marant, Nestlé, Madewell, Mango, Zara, Desigual and Intropia have used indigenous designs without the consent of the communities from which they originate.

From 2012 to 2019, at least 23 national and international clothing brands have appropriated indigenous designs from Oaxaca, Chiapas and Hidalgo, according to the nonprofit organization Impacto.

The organization has identified 39 cases of alleged cultural plagiarism, according to the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), which informed the federal and state governments in January of the necessity to safeguard artistic rights.

The proposed initiative will provide a legal framework by which indigenous communities can solicit the intervention of government institutions in cases in which they feel their designs, knowledge or cultural expression have been used without their consent.

They will be able to seek compensation, reparations, removal of the cultural goods from the market and guarantees that the theft will not be repeated.

The proposal stipulates that indigenous communities have the right to reserve access to their ritualistic, religious, healing and other cultural expressions, or whatever they deem appropriate for the survival of their cultures and identities.

It also suggests the creation of a national inter-institutional safeguard system that will register, catalog and document expressions of indigenous and Afro-Mexican culture and identity.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
dancers in traditional costumes

Profits from this year’s Guelaguetza festival to help Oaxaca rebuild from Hurricane Erick

0
Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara announced on Friday that all profits from the Guelaguetza festival, the state’s preeminent Indigenous cultural event, will be used to reconstruct regions destroyed by Hurricane Erick.
Tecate forest fires in Baja California

Conafor reports Tecate blaze is 75% contained after 15 days of wildfire

0
The fire, which has now spread to over 16,000 hectares, started on June 16 in the Guadalajara 2 community of Tecate, a municipality of approximately 100,000.

Authorities dismantle multi-state fuel theft network, seizing millions in assets

0
The criminal group mainly stole fuel from pipelines operated by the state oil company Pemex, and operated out of 12 facilities spread out across México state, Hidalgo and Querétaro.