Maori Trade Marks Advisory Committee

Member profiles

The members of the Māori Trade Marks Advisory Committee are appointed by the Commissioner of Trade Marks under section 177 of the Trade Marks Act 2002.

The function of the Advisory Committee under section 178 of the Act is to advise the Commissioner whether the proposed use or registration of a trade mark that is, or appears to be, derivative of a Māori sign, including text and imagery, is, or is likely to be, offensive to Māori.

• Ms Karen Te O Kahurangi Waaka is the Chair of the Committee. She was a member of the Māori Trade Marks Focus Group established by the Ministry of Commerce in 1995 and 1996 to facilitate consultation on the reform of the Trade Marks Act. She has extensive experience in Māori tourism, and currently works as a private consultant.
• Dr Deidre Brown is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture at the University of Auckland. Previously she was a Senior Lecturer in Fine Arts and Art History at the University of Canterbury. Her specialist areas are Māori art and architecture, Māori and technology, the history and theory of architecture, digitisation and culture, and the relationship of art, museology and curatorship to architecture. Deidre is widely published and has lectured internationally on the topics of Māori art and iconography.
• Associate Professor Pare Keiha has a background that spans both academic and commercial environments. He is currently the Tumuaki of Te Ara Poutama, the Dean of the Faculty of Māori Development, at the Auckland University of Technology. He is a member of the Board of the Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST), Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and the Waerenga-a-Hika Trust Board. He is also a director of Port of Gisborne Ltd and Gisborne City Holdings Ltd and is a member of the Institute of Directors.
• Mr Mauriora Kingi is the Director of Kaupapa Māori at the Rotorua District Council. He has held many advisory roles within government agencies and Parliamentary Services, advising Ministers and dignitaries on matters relating to tikanga Māori, kawa and etiquette. Mauriora has 10 years experience in local government. He is also a graduate traditional Māori carver from the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. He is fluent in Te Reo Māori and is a recognised speaker on marae throughout Aotearoa. He has advised various government bodies including Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry for the Environment, the Department of Conservation, and the Department of Internal Affairs. He has been aide-de-camp for Governor-Generals, Prime Ministers, and various Ministers of the Crown.
• Ms Tui Te Hau has previously been the New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Melbourne. Tui brings international commercial experience to the Committee and has previously advised Māori businesses on issues such as entering international markets and brand marketing. Tui currently works for Creative HQ as an Incubator Manager.