It is unlikely to be reported widely in the US. It is of little account to anyone other than Maori.
This is important interms of defining just what might and may not be used to promote products without the consent of owners.
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Tobacco giant Philip Morris has issued an unprecedented apology to Maori during a shareholders meeting in the United States for using Maori images on cigarette packets in Israel.
Two Maori Smokefree Coalition representatives confronted Philip Morris in New Jersey early this morning (NZT) over what they say is abuse of Maori culture.
The confrontation was in response to a New Zealander's discovery late last year of cigarettes being sold in Israel branded "Maori Mix", with packaging that included Maori designs.
Coalition director Shane Bradbrook and the organisation's youth advocate Skye Kimura joined the international advocate group Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control (Gptc) to raise issues of misappropriation of Maori culture at the meeting of Philip Morris' parent company, Altria.
Mr Bradbrook said the apology was a "win" for Maori.
"A lot of people came up to us afterwards and said they'd never seen the CEO apologise like that," he said.
"The CEO said it was a mistake and they should never have done it; that they should have recognised that our culture was being used on that product, and that it was a mistake by their marketing people, and they would never do it again."
NOW all that is required is some legal recognition for the principle.
Good on yers, Philip Morris, for recognising that a living culture is not a generic object that can be exploited for brand and promotional purposes.
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