Free the Flag Developments
Warlows Legal followed the Free the Flag Movement closely, as Harold Thomas’ copyrighted flag caused controversy for Indigenous Australians. The Australian Federal Government now owns the copyright, allowing free use of the flag.
As a firm that serves Indigenous Australians, the Free the Flag Movement has been an issue that Warlows Legal has followed closely, as this issue has caused great concern for the Indigenous community and beyond.
The issues leading up this development
In 1970, Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas designed the flag following his graduating the South Australian School of Art the year previous. In the years following this, the flag was embraced and celebrated by the Indigenous Australian community.
In 1995, the Keaton Government gave the flag official status as a “Flag of Australia” under The Flags Act 1995, as the flag representing the Indigenous people of Australia. In 1997, Harold Thomas was granted the copyright for the flag, which gave him the exclusive right to grant licenses for usage of the flag.
In 2018, Harold Thomas granted WAM Clothing the exclusive right to use the flag on clothing. Following this, WAM Clothing issued numerous infringement notices to Aboriginal businesses, as well as the AFL and NRL for the usage of the flag.
This resulted in a unique situation where a flag that had been accepted and embraced by so many Indigenous Australians and had been granted “flag of Australia” status, was now under a private license and unable to be used freely. This caused considerable controversy and the “Free the flag” movement was created.
Latest developments
As of the 24th of January 2022, the Aboriginal flag copyright is owned by the Australian Federal Government and the flag is free to be used by everyone. This came after years of campaigning “Free the flag” activists and negotiations between the Federal Government and the private owners of the copyright.
As per the office of the Prime Minister, “The Aboriginal Flag will now be managed in a similar manner to the Australian National Flag, where its use is free, but must be presented in a respectful and dignified way”. Australians will be able to use the flag “without having to ask for permission or pay a fee”.
For more information regarding this topic see article links, provided below:
https://www.clothingthegaps.com.au/pages/free-the-flag
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jan/25/deal-to-free-aboriginal-flag-welcomed-but-questions-remain
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2022/02/18/details-govts-aboriginal-flag-deal-revealed
You may also be interested in
Client Testimonials
EXCELLENT Based on 36 reviews Posted on Ethan Dehghan2025-09-14Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had an excellent experience with Sajad Alobaidi when buying my house. He explained the contract clearly, was always responsive, and made the whole process smooth and stress-free. Highly recommend Warlows Legal and Sajad for property purchases! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Posted on Zahra Ahmadi2025-09-10Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. One of the best lawyers and his team they are very supportive and very helpful and when it comes to doing the job they do it 100% without any delays Thank you so much to Sam and Sajad for everythingPosted on Arie Kliger2025-03-12Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thanks to Roni Margolin for very professional legal services. Roni performed at high standard representing me in negotiations and court proceedings. She exhibited knowledge, experience and commitment. She kept me informed and discussed matters with me regularly. Warlow Legal have provided me with professional services and I highly recommend them.Posted on Hus Melbourne Best2025-02-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Dealing with the team is easy and response is quick and efficient. They are reasonable with prices and seems very reasonable to the clients. Have a building matter as a Builder and they helping very smartly. Great full to Harriet for taking matter with interest and helping with care. F HussainPosted on Avi Bendetsky2024-12-09Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great firm highly recommend them!!Posted on Rivky Cyrulnik2024-11-22Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thanks Harriet for your help and advice with our build. I am so happy I listened to you. It was a difficult dilemma but well worth following the advice in the long run. Spot on advice. Also thanks to Yoni for his help with our contract. Warlows has great experience with building law and contracts Thank you!Posted on Miriam Pacanowski2024-09-09Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Harriet and her team really cared about our charity and helped us through the many steps required to enable us to achieve DGR status. They were professional and responsive and achieved a fantastic outcome.Posted on Lazer Toggos2024-03-07Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Harriett and Caroline were very professional and listened very carefully They showed understanding and compassion I could not rate them higher Their work was excellent and went the extra mile Would highly recommendPosted on Schneier Lange2023-11-02Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Harriet and her team are very professional and personable and easy to deal with. They go the extra mile to get the job done and showed great care for a positive result. Recommend to anyone wanting a good experience.Posted on Yossi Friedman2023-09-26Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Harriet and her team have been so generous in their advice and support of my new venture and I am so grateful for all their assistance
Please call us to arrange an initial consultation
Our expertise in our respective fields is widely acknowledged. Drawing upon our practical experience, we consistently produce the positive and reliable results our clients expect. We would love to stay connected with you and keep you up to date with all relevant legal issues and expertise.
Subscribe to our email updates by entering your email below, or simply message or call us on +61 3 9212 0238