Māori IP

IP Mātauranga Māori

Mātauranga Māori (most commonly translated as Māori knowledge) encompasses the body of knowledge originating from Māori ancestors. It includes the Māori world view and perspectives, as well as Māori creativity and cultural practices including Te Reo, the Māori language.

Intellectual property rights help ensure that Māori culture and traditional knowledge is recognised and respected. It also gives rights to benefit commercially while preventing exploitation or inappropriate use.

New Zealand’s patent and trade mark laws include specific provisions for the protection of mātauranga Māori. These provisions help prevent the registration of trade marks or granting of patents that would be considered offensive by Māori or contrary to Māori values.

See our guide to protecting intellectual property with a Māori cultural element [PDF 1.1 MB] [PDF, 1.1 MB].

• Concepts to understand

  Understanding Māori culture and protocols will help you navigate New Zealand’s intellectual property (IP) laws and process and potentially save you time and money.

• Māori imagery

  Identifying the most distinctive features of Māori imagery.

• Māori culture and intellectual property

  New Zealand has steps in place to help reconcile Māori views, values and cultural norms with our intellectual property laws.

• Māori Committees for IP

  Established to minimise the risk that the Crown may inadvertently register IP that was likely to cause offence to Māori.