New Zealand law, through the Copyright Act 1994 and various court decisions, determines the rules that apply to use of copyright material in this country. Use of material outside New Zealand is governed by the copyright rules in the country where it is used. 

This means that if copyright in a New Zealand work is infringed in the United States, for example, the New Zealand copyright owner will be able to take action under the relevant United States law and will be entitled to the same protection as a United States copyright owner.

While there are similarities between New Zealand copyright laws and the copyright laws in other countries, there are also some significant differences, for example in relation to copyright duration, ownership and exceptions from infringement. For more information on the different exceptions from infringement, see the “ Exceptions to Copyright ” fact sheet.