US group stands by intellectual property protection
Radio New Zealand | 9 Dec 2010
US group stands by intellectual property protection
An influential American business lobby has hit out at New Zealand’s position on intellectual property rights in the TransPacific Partnership trade talks.
Some 400 people from the nine countries involved in talks on the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) are in Auckland for meetings this week.
A leaker paper has shown New Zealand plans to resist moves by the United States during the talks to toughen up on enforcement of copyrights and patents.
Sean Heather from the US Chamber of Commerce expects US negotiators to push ahead with more protection of US companies intellectual property rights in the TPP.
"The US business community is disappointed in the position that is apparently being articulated in the New Zealand paper.
"We firmly believe that if you’re interested in an innovative economy, that IPR protection is critical."
Mr Heather says it is too early to tell if New Zealand’s position will lessen its chances of getting better access to protected US dairy markets in the nine-country talks.
