Two of the Buy NZ Made logos. Photo: Buy NZ Made
Buy New Zealand Made has bought AI software Logo Hunter to help it protect the Kiwi country of origin logo, as well as that of its clients.
Buy NZ Made bought the software for an undisclosed price from Wellington-based Arcanum to detect and monitor trademark infringements and unauthorised usage of logos.
Executive director Dane Ambler said the investment was expected to pay for itself quickly.
"We'd see up to 100 infringements of the New Zealand-made logo per year," he said.
"This investment would pay itself off in two years, because we get a contractor to go through and manually check for those breaches at the moment. So it's saving a huge amount of time and money."
Ambler said Logo Hunter would be offered to Buy NZ Made clients in the first instance, but the organisation was talking to potential customers in other parts of the world.
"There is a huge opportunity to create a new revenue stream with certification bodies and others with country of origin trademarks," he said.
"I've been talking to countries around the world who are in sort of early stage of launching a country of origin logo like we have, and then very interested in this.
"So yeah, I do think that there's a potential for a subscription model there."
Ambler said investing in AI was a smart business decision and essential in an increasingly digital world of business.
"This tool is a really good start. The aim is to broaden it out so that all of our companies can put their own logos through it."
Ambler said companies need to get onboard with AI.
"AI - it's here. It's been on the periphery for a while, but it's arrived now and businesses that don't get onboard are gonna get left behind."