MEMBERS of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama of Cakaudrove has shown their concern over the new Fiji Airways tapa design new logo.
Soqosoqo president Dimitimiti Lewenilovo said the company's new designs contained contemporary tapa designs which were sacred to the vanua of Cakaudrove.
This sacred design, known as masi bola ni Cakaudrove has also been used by women in the province as part of handicraft design to identify the masi as a piece from Cakaudrove.
"We are worried as once this is officially patented, we cannot use most of these designs and it is the sacred identification of the vanua of Cakaudrove," Ms Lewenilovo said.
"It has also been used by some women in the province as a means of earning money simply because of it's uniqueness to the vanua of Cakaudrove.
"The sacred designs of the bola ni Cakaudrove and draudrau are also known as the walu and ceva.
"We have seen it on the newly designed logo of the airline company and this is a concern since these are designs that are ours alone, something that has been part of our identity and we have never been approached or consulted by the company that now lays claim over it.
"The ceva design consists of the four triangles whose apexes meet at the centre to form a square and is a native bola design of Cakaudrove, which is widely used in Fiji. The walu design which is portrayed as a long block of triangles multicoloured usually of black and white colors is being patented here which is a worry," she said.
Mrs Lewenilovo said the airline company had no claim of right to the designs as it was something that was not originally theirs.
"Patenting the design means that they have laid claim to the design which forbids us women of Cakaudrove from using it for our own purposes whether it be for sale or traditional purposes," she said.
On Friday, Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said objections on Air Pacific's application to patent its logo that included traditional masi designs should be raised with the Registrar of Trademarks. He said this was the correct way to make views and objections known.