The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The unfolding Bhutan Fashion Week (BFW) controversy is no longer just about a fashion event. It has become a mirror reflecting how Bhutan treats its creative minds and their intellectual property. What began as Chandrika Tamang’s heartfelt proposal to build Bhutan’s first ethical, sustainable fashion week has now turned into a case study in institutional overreach, moral rights, and the accountability of those in power.
The Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property (DoMCIIP) and the Royal Textile Academy (RTA) have issued lengthy press releases attempting to deny Chandrika co-founder status, citing technicalities in copyright law and claiming that “ideas cannot be stolen.”
But this argument is both legally and morally flimsy. Chandrika’s detailed BFW proposal, presentations, and emails were not vague concepts but they were original, tangible works with structure, themes, and operational detail. Bhutan’s Copyright Act explicitly protects such works and grants the author moral rights, including the right to be identified.
DoMCIIP and RTA cannot have it both ways: they cannot use Chandrika’s proposal as the basis of their event, replicate its name, themes, and format, and then deny her authorship. This is not just a copyright dispute but it is a matter of integrity. Evidence published by this paper shows that RTA officials acknowledged Chandrika’s work in writing before they appropriated it. Even more troubling is the hard reaction and threats of legal action in response to Chandrika’s claims.
This controversy exposes a deeper problem. When government agencies, armed with taxpayer funds, use their institutional power to drown out an individual creator’s voice, they risk eroding public trust. The Creative Industry ESP fund was meant to nurture innovation, not suffocate it by discouraging private citizens from sharing their ideas.
It is also unfortunate that some actors, musicians and digital creators and influencers who are getting ESP funds from DoMCIIP have chosen to stand with DoMCIIP instead of defending their long term interest of Intellectual Property.
Bhutan has a choice to make. We can either protect creators, as guaranteed under Article 7 of the Constitution, or signal to our youth that originality will be rewarded with appropriation and denial. If the creative sector is to flourish, accountability must apply equally to public agencies.
This case is not just about BFW or Chandrika. It is about whether Bhutan will be a nation that celebrates creativity or one where bureaucratic convenience tramples over those who dare to dream.
“Intellectual Property must be respected if we want to have a thriving market economy.”
Hendrith Vanlon