Reflections on a Career in Indigenous Intellectual Property Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho

Abstract

This chapter is based on a series of conversations between activist Aroha Mead and academic Sequoia Short. Intellectual property rights are a suite of laws that come from a value base that is quite different to Indigenous worldviews. One of the early learnings of being exposed to the intellectual property rights system was to learn the limitations that intellectual property has in contrast to the more holistic view that Indigenous peoples have of our heritage. In legal standards, cultural property and intellectual property are two very distinct areas. IP laws only cover current commercial use. The fashion industry has been one of the major offenders in the appropriation of images of Maori and other Indigenous designs and names without consent. The World Intellectual Property Organization is responsible for promoting the implementation of intellectual property treaties worldwide.