24 January, 2002

The cost of developing the Maori Made Mark is $831,000 - not $1 million as claimed by Rt Hon Winston Peters in the press release issued by New Zealand First today. The design of the actual Maori Made Mark symbol was $10,900, which is included in the $831,000 budget.

The other costs associated with the wide-ranging, two-year process to develop the Mark have involved:

 Developing a licensing system for the Mark
 Policy research
 Setting up a system and procedures to administer the Mark
 Essential marketing and promotion strategies to ensure the Mark gains profile and value
 Consultation with Mäori.

The Maori Made Mark is much more than a “logo”, as stated by Mr Peters. It is a registered trade mark akin to the Woolmark and developed by Creative New Zealand through its Mäori arts board, Te Waka Toi. A reputation-building exercise for Mäori art, it is a Mark of authenticity and quality for Mäori, for New Zealanders and for international buyers of Mäori artwork.

Contemporary and traditional Mäori arts will be covered by the trade mark. Te Waka Toi Chair Elizabeth Ellis says:

“The work of artists is extremely varied and dynamic and may push the boundaries of what people traditionally think of as art. The Mark has been registered across a very wide range of classes because artists work across a whole spectrum of media and we have anticipated that unique finished artworks can encompass a wide range of media and materials.

“The registration does not give exclusive rights to those products. Rather, it gives Creative New Zealand the exclusive right to license people to use the Mark in connection with those products.”

The Maori Made Mark will be launched in Auckland on Friday, 8 February.

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