A lawyer says the Waitangi Tribunal took a constrained approach to its report responding to the Wai 262 claim which covers Maori cultural and intellectual property rights.
The Tribunal is calling for an advisory committee to be set up give the Māori view to the Intellectual Property Office before it grants exclusive rights for new plant varieties to be produced and sold.
But lawyer Moana Jackson doubts a committee would be influential saying in his experience, advisory committees give advice and are then ignored.
However, Mr Jackson acknowledges that some will say a committee is better than nothing.
