Hon Judith Tizard, Associate Minister of Commerce

Today is World Intellectual Property Day and it's a good opportunity to salute those in the creative industries, Associate Commerce Minister Judith Tizard said today.

"It's a good chance to have a think about how well we value and respect the copyright of creative New Zealanders".

"Copyright is a really significant issue for our creative sector. It enables our artists, authors, musicians, performers and other creators to make a living from their work. It provides incentives for creators to create original works and investors to invest in the creation of new stories and other creative efforts."

"Piracy, especially of films and music, is a global issue, but it's also a problem here in New Zealand. This month the creators of Sione's Wedding have had their work stolen, illegally copied and then sold. That disrespect for what is one of the funniest films of this year is undermining our own film industry."

Judith Tizard said the Labour-led Government had a special interest in the promotion of innovation, arts and culture.

"We believe that as a small country, New Zealand has to work hard to maintain and develop its own cultural identity. Our creative industries have much to contribute to our economy, to job growth, and to the promotion of our country.

"Both world wide and in New Zealand, the cultural and heritage sectors are amongst the key growth areas for the 21st century. Creativity is at the heart of innovation, and creative industries input into many other sectors.

"We want to have vibrant and active creative industries where New Zealanders can tell, hear and see their own stories and make a living from it. Copyright obligations are an important part of ensuring that. We all need to respect the ownership of the creativity which we all enjoy so that artists can earn a livelihood and continue to create their works."

As part of the activities celebrating World Intellectual Property Day, Judith Tizard will crush some pirated CDs and DVDs at Stebbings Recording Centre. Shortly afterwards, she will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the recording industry and the film industry to work together to combat piracy.

ENDS

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