Macedonian Cultural Festival to remove a copyrighted Greek symbol (Petition)

We, the undersigned, are OBJECTING to the illegal use of a copyrighted cultural symbol for the “Macedonian Cultural Festival” scheduled for Sunday, 27 November 2016 at Commonwealth Reserve in Williamstown (refer to image above).

We consider the ongoing illegal use of historic Greek symbols in both the advertising and course of the event, as a flagrant attempt to provoke Australians of Greek origin. This is evident as the “Melbourne Thessaloniki Sister City 32nd Anniversary Festival”, a Greek community event celebrating Greek-Australian relations, is also planned on the same day. This is not a coincidence.

May we remind the HOBSON BAY CITY COUNCIL, that in 1995, an Interim Accord imposed a binding “code of conduct” between the FYRoM and Greece under International Law. The behaviour of some of the FYRoM diaspora has displayed little or no regard as outlined in the previous paragraph.

Australia is a signatory of the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty (WIPO Copyright Treaty), which means that Australia has to abide by treaty laws; the Vergina Sun is a WIPO protected Symbol of Greece and any use of it without permission is a breach of the treaty.

Hobsons Bay City Council must contact and request that the organisers of the event remove the Vergina Sun symbol immediately from their advertising and their planned event.

To be very clear, the Greek community does not seek to have said event canceled. Merely that dignity and cultural sensitivity are upheld.

Please consider that many residents and ratepayers within your municipality of different ethnic backgrounds have contributed in a positive way to Australian culture and our way of life. This also includes Australians from the Greek diaspora who just ask that respect for their/our cultural identity be maintained without provocation.

Sincerely,

The Greek community of Melbourne and wider Australia.

https://www.change.org/p/hobson-s-bay-request-the-macedonian-cultural-festival-to-remove-a-copyrighted-greek-symbol-immediately?recruiter=344223748&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_page&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-no_msg

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