The Trade Marks Regulations 2003, made pursuant to the Trade Marks Act 2002, have been amended by the Trade Marks Amendment Regulations 2012.

The New Zealand Government has released a Supplementary Order Paper to amend the Patents Bill which is awaiting its second and third readings in Parliament. 

The Patents Act 2013 came into force on 13 September 2014 and is a replacement for the Patents Act 1953. This Act will make it more difficult and more expensive to obtain a valid patent in New Zealand, thus "raises the bar" for patentability in New Zealand. We recommend considering filing or entering national phase in New Zealand prior to 13 September 2014 in order to avoid the more onerous conditions of the Patents Act 2013.

The Waitangi Tribunal's report on the WAI 262 claim was released on 3 July 2011.

Commonly known as the “flora and fauna” claim, the WAI 262 claim addressed the ownership and use of Maori knowledge, cultural expressions, indigenous species of flora and fauna, all known as taonga (treasures), and inventions and products derived from indigenous flora and fauna and/or utilising Maori knowledge. Here we look at a number of key facts as they are relevant to Intellectual Property rights.

Your trade mark is your brand. It’s the way people remember you and your product – think Whittaker’s, 42 Below, Swanndri. Recognition of a brand allows customers to make repeat purchasers from you and it is an important business asset.

 

Geographical Indications News

Domain names within the .nz space are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, when the name is registered, there is no enquiry into whether the registrant is entitled to use and register the domain name.