This paper focuses upon the difficulties and dilemmas faced by institutions and researchers who seek to provide access to Australian Indigenous artworks in their collections in a manner that is both legal yet culturally acceptable to Indigenous communities. The problems are particularly acute for libraries that seek to publish images or make them available online. Initially, the paper places Australian Indigenous artworks into the framework of Indigenous customary law. It then moves to explain the possibilities and shortcomings of Australian intellectual property law for meeting Indigenous standards and expectations. The following section explores some of the protocols that have been developed that may assist researchers to ensure that artworks are treated with appropriate respect. As a case study, the paper refers in particular to a collection of Indigenous artworks held in the University of Melbourne collections where curators addressed the practical issues of treating artworks in accordance with the standards of Indigenous customary law.