Following its first meeting of the year last month, the Guam Trademark Commission convened to continue discussion on efforts to protect and preserve Guam's Chamorro cultural arts. The meeting follows the visit by New Zealand arts and cultural representatives who were on island in preparation of next year's Festival of the Pacific Arts.

Commission chairwoman Speaker Judi Won Pat says she had a chance to speak with the New Zealand reps on their own trademark program, saying, "The Toi Iho program has been separated from Creative New Zealand and is at the moment of the hands of the artist, and it was created with the similar intentions of the commission like what we're trying to do to deal with issues of misappropriations of cultural arts, to differentiate authenticity and to maintain and define quality and value."

The Guam Trademark Commission is looking at New Zealand's program as one of the few models to consider and follow. The commission is set to meet again next month.