New Zealand Trademark Information

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean south-east of Australia. The population is estimated at 4,392,000 with a GDP of $115.41 billion.

The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.

Trademarks are assigned through the Ministry of Economic Development. New Zealand is not a member of the Madrid Protocol. A trademark is valid for 10 years and may be renewed for further periods of 10 years each.