The Copyright Thing Doesn't Work Here: Adinkra and Kente Cloth and Intellectual Property in Ghana

In Ghana, adinkra and kente textiles derive their significance from their association with both Asante and Ghanaian cultural nationalism. Adinkra, made by stenciling patterns with black dye, and kente, a type of strip weaving, each convey, through color, style, and adornment, the bearer’s identity, social status, and even emotional state. Yet both textiles have been widely mass—produced outside Ghana, particularly in East Asia, without any compensation to the originators of the designs.

In T...