April 2019 

• Discovery of Oma plagiarised designs in Max Mara Weekend retail storefront by a former TAEC colleague.
• Message of concern sent by TAEC to Max Mara via Facebook messenger and email.
• Max Mara replies days later to TAEC that denies any wrongdoing, and asks TAEC to remove its posts on the topic. Messages are marked private and confidential, and come from the Max Mara legal team. 
• TAEC launches #MaxOma awareness campaign on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with astounding support from the public supporting a petition.
• TAEC and Max Mara exchange communications on the issue. TAEC publishes two open letters sent to Max Mara. First Letter 10 April | Second Letter 13 April 
• TAEC begins contacting retailers carrying the line to explain the issue. MatchesFashion.com and Miinto.com pull the line from their online shops.
• TAEC sends a letter directly to Luigi Maramotti, Chairman of Max Mara, along with a petition. All communications are ignored.

May 2019

• TAEC becomes a member of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative® (CIPRI). By joining this global movement, TAEC begins to network with other organisations around the world who support the rights of indigenous and ethnic communities over their traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs). CIPRI and their global members foster cultural sustainability in commerce and fashion and advocate for cultural IP rights. 

June 2019

• Realising that TAEC had no legal standing to the claim of plagiarism, Max Mara successfully ignored the controversy.

December 2019

• TAEC pursues a Sudden Opportunity Grant from VOICE to assist the Oma in documenting their traditional designs and creating a prototype for other communities in Laos. 

May 2020

• TAEC awarded VOICE funding to collaborate with the Oma community to document their traditional designs and build a replicable and scalable model for other communities to protect their traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) from exploitation.

June 2020

• TAEC co-founders and research team travel to Phongsaly to introduce the project concept to the Oma community in Ban Nanam.  The community gives their Free, Prior and Informed Consent to proceed with the project. 

August 2020

• Oma artisans visit TAEC in Luang Prabang to begin documentation of their traditional designs. 
• Lao New Wave Cinema begins documenting the project to create videos to share publicly as well as take photographs for the database. 

October 2020

• TAEC launches a public Facebook group in Lao language to share updates and information about Cultural Intellectual Property. 
• In collaboration with the Lao Handicraft Association and annual festival in Vientiane, TAEC hosts a booth and presentation about Cultural Intellectual Property focusing on the issue facing the Oma community.

December 2020

• TAEC releases the first of three short videos about the project.

February 2022

• Discussions continue with the Oma recognised as an example for the need to enhance protection of traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) in the ASEAN region. Comparative Study of Existing GR, TK and TCE Legislation and Approaches with Recommendations for Best Practice National Policies and Laws.

April 2022

• April 2022 has been designated Cultural Intellectual Property Awareness Month. Find out more information on events and resources on the CIPRI website. TAEC hosted a free webinar on 23 April 2022 – Respecting Tradition: Ethical Textile Design and Inspiration with indigenous designers from the Philippines and USA – watch the recording on YouTube.
• TAEC also hosted a free Lao Language webinar on why cultural IP rights are important for artisans in Laos on 28 April 2022. The recording is available on YouTube.

May 2022

• TAEC and the Oma were published in BBC Culture.

December 2022

• Hodder Education and the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore has used the Oma case study as an example for a series of textbooks (print and digital) for Social Studies Secondary 3 Coursebook for Express/Normal (Academic) syllabus. View here.
• The Oma project documentary was on view at TAEC for a wider international audience during the Blue Chair Film Festival (formerly the Luang Prabang Film Festival) in the “Films Around Town” category, 8-11 December 2022.

April 2023

• April is Cultural Intellectual Property Awareness Month. Events, information, and resources are available on the CIPRI website. TAEC hosted a panel discussion on 20 April 2023 – Continuing the Conversation: Ethical Textile Design with indigenous designers from the Philippines and USA. Watch part one (2022) and the follow-up here on YouTube.
• TAEC partnered with the US Embassy in Vientiane to facilitate a Lao language workshop for World IP Day with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), Lao Government, and other relevant stakeholders in the creative industry. Learn more here.

May 2023

• Planning is underway for TAEC’s new special exhibition “Claiming Inspiration: Artisans, Culture, and Commercialisation“, opening late September 2023. This compelling new exhibit will focus on cultural intellectual property and the challenge of protecting traditional designs and artisan knowledge in an increasingly globalised, commercial world. We will explore what it means for ethnic communities and their cultural identity and livelihoods. Please follow our progress on Facebook. 
• WIPO published an informative webinar on Intellectual Property and Traditional Producers recorded in May 2023.

September 2023

• “Claiming Inspiration: Artisans, Culture, and Commercialisation” opens to the public at the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre on 29 September, with a community celebration and Oma partners.
• Oma Artisans, Chankeo, Onchanh, Siivone, and Khampheng, travel from Phongsaly Province to Luang Prabang to complete an artisan residency at TAEC and attend the exhibitions opening event. Special thanks to Fondation LOOM to making this possible.

November 2023

• TAEC presents on behalf of the Oma community at WIPO in Geneva in a dialogue about traditional designs and fashion. Co-Director, Tara Gujadhur, explains how intrinsic textiles are to the Oma identity, and how the 2019 misappropriation case led to the development of the Traditional Textile Design Database model.
• Tara Gujadhur, TAEC Co-Director, and Khamchan Souvannalith, TAEC Researcher, spend nine days visiting all seven Oma villages to introduce the topic of traditional design protection, survey their village livelihoods and textile activities.
• TAEC and the Oma of Nanam Village renew their Representation Agreement and Power of Attorney contracts, ensuring TAEC can continue to legally represent Nanam in ongoing work.

December 2023

• TAEC Co-Director Tara presented at COP 28 in Dubai, representing the Oma in a dialogue on how cultural and environmental heritage and knowledge are intertwined.

January 2024

• Oma representatives come to Luang Prabang from all seven Oma villages. The first formal gathering of the Oma communities to facilitate open dialogue and discussion on their rights and opportunities.

February 2024

• Nineteen Oma artisans, representing all seven Oma villages in Laos, come to TAEC for a week-long handicraft development residency.

May 2024

• Nicole Crouch, CIPRI’s Academic Research & Creative Industries Lead presents a talk: “Commercial Textiles and Culture: a legal lens on print design”, at an evening free TAEC Talk event.
• TAEC´s Advocacy and Livelihoods team visits the Oma villages of Nanam, Sengkang Kao, and Long Thang to work on product development.