A new treaty could prevent some misappropriation of Māori and Indigenous design – and shouldn’t be ignored
- Written by Jessica C Lai, Professor of Commercial Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
From patents relating to mānuka, fake Māori souvenirs being sold in Aotearoa New Zealand, or the use of Māori designs on bedspreads sold online, the misappropriation and commercialisation of indigenous knowledge and culture has long been a problem.
But two new treaties, adopted in 2024 by member states of the World Intellectual...