Introduction
Handicraft comes under Intellectual Property which is a pool of ideas, concepts, inventions, stories, songs, materials or anything emanating from the working of the human requiring protection. Handicraft also called craftwork or handiwork is an activity which involves the making of decorative domestic or other objects by hand or by simple tools. It is to be noted that craft making is all about creativity and talent which may or may not reflect one’s culture and tradition.In other words, all crafted items include the crafter’s original works of arts and forms of creative output. This is not limited to written works alone but equally includes Drawing, Painting, Music, Poetry, Songs, Sculpture, Photos, Images, the Graphics, Illustrations, Designs you use on your products,prints and patterns that you craft on garments and accessories.. Overall, these crafts are your artistic elements and your unique patterns mostly fueled by imagination- the imagination you have brought alive.
As soon as you create your crafts into a finished fixed form or into a physical medium, copyright automatically protects your work. This means two things. First, the Law is encouraging you to make useful innovations, inventions and other discoveries,while secondly it is also ensuring that your craft is kept intact by having copyright protection. The Law is also telling you in essence that you can turn your ideas in for intellectual property for commercialization purposes.
With Copyright, the Law is encouraging you to be honest with yourself and your audience to produce something worthwhile. However, copyright will not protect the useful aspects of your craft because other people are also free to create different ones apart from yours. For example, hair attachments, pens, etc
A Legal Practitioner and Author
