Erin Daly
Manager Business Development Australasia/Trade Fair Manager (Members based in NZ & AUS)
+64 9 304 0702 edaly@germantrade.co.nz
Date: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Time: 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, Level 14/188 Quay Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
As New Zealand companies prepare to enter the European market, IP and regulatory protection is often treated as an afterthought – yet it is one of the most consequential decisions in a market-entry strategy. Rights that are secure in New Zealand do not automatically transfer to Europe, and in a first-to-file environment, delay can be costly.
Join us for an in-person session with Bird & Bird, one of the world's leading IP law firms with a strong technology focus and a long-standing, sector-specialised advisory model. This session will be presented by Niklas Fels, who advises across the Food & Beverage and Consumer & Retail sectors.
Topics covered:
- The IP Trifecta — an overview of trade marks, patents, and copyright, illustrated through New Zealand examples, providing a shared baseline for attendees at any stage of IP maturity
- Common IP mistakes New Zealand companies make in Europe, including:
- Assuming New Zealand IP clearance extends to Europe
- Missing IP assignments from contractors — a frequent issue in tech and packaging design that can surface as ownership disputes during EU negotiations
- Choosing descriptive or non-registrable names
- Filing too late in Europe's first-to-file system
- Misalignment between IP and regulatory frameworks — including health, environmental, and origin claims and allergen rules in Food & Beverage, and product safety, packaging, and greenwashing rules in Consumer & Retail
- Building resilience into market entry, covering:
- Why New Zealand rights do not transfer to the EU
- First-to-file risk and how it plays out in practice
- Distributor risk, including cases where distributors register brands themselves
- The intersection of regulatory claims and IP — naming, labelling, and online product descriptions
Key takeaway:
Entering a new market means entering a new regulatory structure. Understanding this before you enter — not after — is what separates a smooth expansion from a costly one.
About the Speaker
Niklas Fels advises both national and international clients on all aspects of non-technical intellectual property rights, commercial and regulatory law, particularly in the retail and consumer/food and beverage sector. Having practiced in these areas in both common law and civil law jurisdictions for more than 14 years he has gathered substantial expertise and experience in those fields.
One of his focus areas is trade mark law where he advises clients in all relevant fields starting from strategic advice concerning building and extending trade mark portfolios, commercialisation of brand assets, to defending of trade mark rights against infringement. Niklas advises clients in trade name and domain disputes, as well as the defense of geographical indications. Furthermore, he supports clients in commercial and regulatory matters, as well as sports law-related issues.
