The future of the handpan depends on us

For more than five years, a small group of makers and players has carried a heavy legal battle — not for profit, but for something much larger:

the freedom for everyone to build, play, and share handpans.

Now, we’ve reached a turning point.

Without support from the global community, this fight cannot continue.

Your donation today will help keep the handpan alive — as an instrument of peace, connection, and creativity for generations to come.

-> Please donate, share this page, and stand with us.

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Why your support matters

What’s happening in court right now will affect every player, maker, and listener around the world.

In 2020, the Swiss company PANArt — creator of the original Hang® — claimed that the Hang was not a musical instrument, but a work of art protected by copyright.

They argued that four basic design elements of almost every handpan belonged exclusively to them:

1. The lens-shaped body

2. The central dome (the Ding)

3. The port on the underside (the Gu)

4. The tone fields arranged in a circle

If these claims were accepted, nearly every handpan ever made could be declared an infringement.

This would end the freedom of makers and threaten the very existence of the instrument as we know it.

Since 2020, handpan builders and artists have faced lawsuits, seized instruments, police raids, and overwhelming legal costs.

To defend the entire community, we came together as Handpan Community United (HCU) — joining forces with international law firms to stand up for everyone’s right to build and play freely.

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Where we stand today

In 2024, the Commercial Court of Bern ruled that the Hang® qualifies as a “work of art.”

This was only the first phase of the proceedings — and it is not final.

The next phase, now underway, will determine whether handpans actually infringe on that copyright and whether they can continue to be made and sold.

This process will take years, and the costs have already exceeded €1.1 million.

The parties involved fight for the survival of the handpan and for the whole community but can no longer bear this financial burden.

Without community support, the defense will not survive.

For everyone who wants to know more information, we are documenting all important steps and the whole history of the case, please visit hcu.global to find all resources.

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What’s at stake

This case is not about one company or one design.

It’s about the freedom of creation.

It’s about every maker who crafts instruments with love.

It’s about every musician who shares their sound with the world.

And it’s about every listener who has ever felt the peace, joy, and wonder of the handpan.

As long as we stand united — and as long as we have the resources to continue — the handpan will remain free.

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How you can help

1. Donate what you can.

Every contribution — large or small — helps pay for ongoing legal fees and ensures our defense continues.

2. Share this campaign.

Post it, talk about it, tell your friends and followers. The more people who know, the stronger we become.

3. Spread the love for the handpan.

Play, record, connect — remind the world what this instrument stands for: peace, creativity, and unity.

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Together, we can protect the future of the handpan.

Your support today helps ensure that this sound — born from freedom and shared love — continues to resonate around the world.

Direct donations and Donation receipts

Please check https://hcu.global/crowdfunding/ for bank details for a direct donation to our IBAN bank account and find instructions of how to get an official donation receipt for donations exceeding € 1.000

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