Earlier this week I met with Trade Minister Hon Tim Groser and the Government’s Chief Trade Negotiator
to get the inside word on what was happening with the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA),
particularly in relation to Technology and Intellectual Property.
Mr Groser’s openness and candor was excellent
and I can’t speak highly enough about the Minister’s willingness to engage and discuss these issues.
However,
I left the meeting more than a little concerned about the impact TPPA might still have on New Zealand’s IP laws.
What is TPPA?
For those that haven’t heard of this,
TPPA stands for the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement
and is a trade agreement currently being negotiated by 9 countries,
including New Zealand, Australia and the USA.
Some call this “the trade agreement of our generation” and indeed,
the impact on New Zealand,
positive or negative,
has the potential to be huge.