New law means ‘better protection’ for NZ regions

New Zealand’s parliament has introduced a law enabling the country’s wine regions to register their name as the collective intellectual property of that region.

The Geographical Indications ( Wine and Spirits) Registration Act enshrines in law the principle that only wines produced within a particular region will be able to use its name on the label. On the day it was introduced, the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) quickly received 18 applications.

The process of joining the GI Register, created by the act, takes up to six months and it is effective for five years. It can then be renewed for a further 10 years.