Jeremy Eccles seems to be enjoying the trump in this story of the fashion designers whose prints were inspired by Aboriginal artists. The firm followed the principle of the droite de suite royalty in paying the artist’s estate for the use of imagery from his art:

For many, Rodarte‘s 2012 prints were nothing more than a pretty appropriation that’s gone a little further afield than New Mexico. But for Megan Davis, the academic who heads up the UNSW Indigenous Law Centre and is also a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the prints were an insensitive theft of her Australian Aboriginal culture. […]

Unfortunately, Ms Davis has jumped to a whole raft of unjust conclusions here. […] Indeed, a quick check with the Aboriginal Artists’ Agency which represents Papunya Tula Artists in this matter, confirmed the licence. “The widow of artist Benny Tjangala will see this use of his artworks quite differently to the professor”, explained Anthony Wallis of AAA. “She will appreciate the royalty flow over the next 12 months! “

Aboriginal Art Dress Spat (Aboriginal Art News)