The latest press release has come out from Australian Manuka Honey Association and its great news for Australia’s beekeepers and honey packers!
The New Zealand’s Manuka Honey Appellation Society (MHAS) have discontinued its High Court appeal which means the 2021 UK IPO ruling in Australian beekeepers’ favour stands and there is no restraint or trademark limits on Manuka naming rights. MHAS has also withdrawn their application for the ‘Manuka Honey’ certification mark in the European Union.
This is a significant win for the Australian Manuka honey industry which is forecast to be worth around $1.27 billion in annual trade by 2027. This result means Australian Manuka honey producers are able to sell their products in the UK and Europe under the globally-recognised ‘Manuka’ name.
This significantly de-risks the Australian Manuka industry and allows us to get on with building our businesses and exporting our products without the noise created by the MHAS in New Zealand. The Australian Manuka Honey Industry is alive and well and we have complete rights to legitimately be in this industry despite the positioning by the group in New Zealand to try to cut us out. It is important we use this information so people and organisations in the industry globally are aware of the results.
A big thanks to the Board of the AMHA for the huge amount of work they have all done in the past five years on our behalf. In particular our two New Zealand Board members Tom Walters and Harvey Bell who have stood by us under personal duress in New Zealand knowing that what we were fighting for was legitimately correct.Its important to highlight the legal expertise of Paul Kordic in managing and directing our legal strategy. AMHA have spent a fraction of the funding the MHAS have spent, have not been paid for their work, engaged the state and federal government Depart of Trade, Agriculture, Intellectual Property and the Attorney General and have enabled this huge, sensible outcome that is the right decision for the industry.
Let’s get on with building our industry, products and export opportunities and educating Manuka honey lovers the world over about the diversity and potency of our great local Australian Manuka honeys.
Whilst this is a significant victory, the fight is not over. We are still awaiting the outcome of a New Zealand trademark application by MHAS that was heard by the New Zealand IPO in 2021.
Thank you to all our customers for your ongoing support for Australian Manuka Honeys. We look forward to building the range of great Manuka products we have on offer and listening to your feedback about them.