‘Stick to milking cows instead of milking Māori’ that’s the call from Chair of the NZ Māori council Matthew Tukaki over an application by Dairy cooperative Fonterra to trademark 12 te reo Māori words for its products.
Fonterra made the applications on July 13 for 11 of their ‘Kapiti’ cheese products. Words applied for include kōwhai and awa. They are also applying for the trademark of the word Kāpiti (with the macron), having previously obtained the word Kapiti.
“I think all Maori would agree with me that a corporate entity sure as hell does not own the use of Maori words or phrases” Tukaki said.
Fonterra says if the trademarks are granted they only relate to use on milk and milk products, cheeses, edible oils and fats but Tukaki rallies against that saying it will disadvantage small Māori enterprise.
‘In no one’s world is it okay to take Maori words and meanings and attempt to own them – thereby having Maori possibly beg to use them ourselves without fear of a cease and desist letter.’ He said.
Tukaki says he will be writing to the Intellectual Property Office and Minister Kris Faafoi opposing the applications.
The Māori council chair rallied against the decision-making process at Fonterra saying it is time for ‘those sorts of decisions to be vested purely with Maori’.
‘It's our language – its not Fonterra's' he added.
Watch NZ Māori council Chair Matthew Tukaki lock horns with Fonterra executives on Te Ao Tapatahi in the video above.