New Zealand innovators and marketers can be confident their country has an IP rights infrastructure that if used properly can facilitate the successful commercialisation of cutting edge technology.
In view of New Zealand's rise from 11th to 6th placing in the latest Global Intellectual Property Index (GIPI), New Zealand innovators and marketers can be confident their country has an IP rights infrastructure that if used properly can facilitate the successful commercialisation of cutting edge technology. Similarly, the high ranking flags to current and potential off-shore seekers of New Zealand IP rights that these can be secured efficiently, will be fit for purpose and properly enforced.
This is the fourth GIPI to be published since it was started in 2009. It surveys and analyses the IP regimes of the 36 most significant jurisdictions and assesses patents, registered trade marks, registered designs, copyright and data protection from which a composite comparative ranking is derived. The assessments are compiled from responses to a survey of IP owners and users based on their experiences and knowledge of the jurisdictions surveyed.
The countries which ranked above New Zealand are UK (1), Germany (2), Netherlands (3), Sweden (4), and Australia (5), while Switzerland (7), France (8), Austria (9) and USA complete the top 10.
Considering the individual IP rights, New Zealand is 4th for trade marks, 9th for patents, 13th for copyright, 6th for registered designs and 3rd for data protection. The high ranking for trade marks is possibly due to the Trade Marks Act 2011 introducing increased measures to combat counterfeiting and the 2012 accession to the Madrid Protocol. It is likely New Zealand's patent ranking will rise in the next Index to be published because the new Patents Act 2013, aligned with modern international norms, should be in force then, although this could be affected by negative reaction to the Act's reduction of the types of software technology which can be considered patentable inventions. The very high ranking for data protection arises from the European Commission's decision in December 2012 to recognise New Zealand as a safe place to export and process EU personal data following amendments to the Privacy Act in 2010.
The Global Intellectual Property Index is produced by Taylor Wessing in association with Z/Yen Group and GIPI 4 was published 13 November 2013.
