Every product needs some element of packaging and labelling. Some products may only need a swing tag or price tag. Others might need a carefully designed box to protect the product before it reaches the consumer.

All merchandise using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork needs to provide cultural information about the artwork and the artist: as well as being ethically appropriate, this adds substantial value to your product and provides added appeal for consumers. This will most often be done through the packaging and labelling.

Product packaging may be produced by the manufacturer when they make the product or separately designed and produced by a third party. If the manufacturer is responsible for packaging and labelling, that should be clearly stated in the manufacturing agreement. If the packaging is being produced by a third party then there should be a separate agreement between the art centre and the third party.

Any manufacturing agreement should be in writing and include all relevant terms and conditions.

If the packaging or labelling incorporates the artwork or artwork story, then it contains Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP). Art centres may ask to include clauses in the manufacturing agreement to protect artists’ ICIP.