Several general principles are important for effective management of intellectual property (“IP”) rights in New Zealand.  First, it is important to have an overall strategy to protect your IP.  Second, IP may be protected differently in New Zealand than in the United States.  Third, rights must be registered and enforced in New Zealand, under local laws; U.S. trademark and patent registrations do not automatically afford protection in New Zealand. 

Before introducing your products or services to the New Zealand market, it’s important to understand these rules and how to secure your patents and trademarks.  Because intellectual property rights are private rights, the U.S. government cannot enforce them for you in New Zealand.  Rights holders must register, protect, and enforce rights where needed.  New Zealand is not included on the USTR’s annual Special 301 Report watchlist. 

In any foreign market companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. For background, link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources.

The IP Contact for New Zealand is:

Name:  Matthew Kohner, IP Attache
Address: U.S. Embassy, Bangkok, Thailand
E-mail:  Matthew.Kohner@trade.gov

For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Standards and Intellectual Property Rights (OSIP) Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov.

To access New Zealand’s ICS, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.