A warning about fake merchandise from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori - the Māori Language Commission has been issued in the lead up to Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.
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A warning about fake merchandise from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori - the Māori Language Commission has been issued in the lead up to Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. “Our trademarked tohu, the rainbow hei tiki, is not to be sold or profited from without authorisation” says Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, Tumu Whakahaere of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. “We are seeing businesses selling merch with our tohu on it for upwards of $70 a hoodie. These products have not been authorised by us and goes directly against our stipulations on the use of our trademarked logo”. People are welcome to print their own merch using our logo if there is no commercial gain involved. “Whānau, kōhanga, sports teams and workplaces can all print their own gears and use them to celebrate te reo Māori – they just can’t sell them”. Ngahiwi says in the last week, Te Taura Whiri has been in touch with a number of online businesses that are acting against the terms of use of the logo. “There is only one exception to a business using the ‘Kia Kaha te Reo Māori’ brand for commercial use, and that is if Te Taura Whiri grants a commercial license. “We know that whānau want to be able to proudly support te reo Māori by wearing the hei tiki, which is why it’s always been available for non-for-profit use. We also know that some would prefer to purchase ready-made kākahu. “To ensure we can cater for all supporters, Te Taura Whiri has just signed its first commercial license with a much-loved New Zealand brand. We will be announcing this new partnership ahead of Te Wiki but for now e te whānau, save your money and print your own gears for free. The tohu is available to download from our website”, he says. Ngahiwi says a sudden rise of poor-quality reproductions of the ‘Kia Kaha te Reo Māori’ themed clothing has cropped up since Te Taura Whiri announced its theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori this year, “Ake Ake Ake – A Forever Language”.
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