Last week I heard that the Maori have legal means to defend themselves against the misuse of Maori words by companies. I heared it had to do with patents, and that Lego had dropped using Maori names. Searching the internet I found the following.
I just wanted to mention this. Maybe it helps, to see that this is possible.
The case was against the toy maker Lego was more than 10 years ago, but had a positive effect on changes of a bill one and a half year ago:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/31/andrewosbornThe Danish toy maker Lego said yesterday that it would not loot ethnic cultures for exotic new product names after Maori tribes in New Zealand challenged its right to use Polynesian names in a new game called Bionicle.
Lego has admitted that it did "borrow" names from the Maori culture and has pledged to draw up a code of conduct to govern the way it uses folklore to spice up its toys.
"Future launches of Bionicle sets will not incorporate names from any original culture," it said yesterday. "The Lego company will seek to develop a code of conduct for cultural expressions of traditional knowledge."
http://www.henryhughes.co.nz/Site/News_Articles_Case_Notes/Breaking_News_-_Patents_Bill.aspxAfter decades of discussion and five years on the Parliamentary Order Paper, the Patents Bill (Bill) completed its passage through the New Zealand Parliament on 28 August 2013. The Bill is set to receive Royal assent in the next few days to become the Patents Act 2013 (the 2013 Act).
Key changes
Some of the key changes to be introduced by the 2013 Act are:-
8.
Maori advisory committee - Importantly, the 2013 Act attempts to deal with the concerns of Maori, and provides for a Maori advisory committee to advise the Commissioner on whether a claimed invention is derived from Maori traditional knowledge or from indigenous plants or animals and, if so, whether the commercial exploitation of that invention is likely to be contrary to Maori values. The Maori advisory committee is an initiative unique to New Zealand patent law. An advisory committee has been advising the Commissioner of Trade Marks since the Trade Marks Act 2002 came into force on whether the proposed use or registration of a trade mark that is, or appears to be, a derivative of a Maori word or imagery is likely to be offensive to Maori. The trade mark experience has been very positive.
