Kōtuia ngā Kete (Kōtuia) is a collection-sharing website developed by National Services Te Paerangi, a team at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa). Kōtuia is referred to in the Terms as ‘the website’ or ‘Kōtuia’.
‘The Terms’ are the combined terms of Te Papa’s Copyright and Terms of Use, and the terms and conditions described below.
In the Terms, ‘you’ means anyone who accesses and views Kōtuia as well as museums, galleries, whare taonga, and any other organisation that contributes to Kōtuia (a Contributing Organisation).
‘Including’ and similar words do not suggest an exhaustive list.
By using Kōtuia, you agree to the Terms
By using Kōtuia, you agree that you have read and accepted the Terms. If you do not agree to the Terms, please do not use Kōtuia.
These Terms may be changed at any time, so please check them regularly. When using Kōtuia, you are accepting the Terms that are in use at that time.
Content and rights belong to Te Papa and others
All intellectual property including copyright, other rights in Kōtuia, and content on Kōtuia belong to Te Papa, the Contributing Organisation, or their licensors.
All website content is owned by Te Papa, except for Contributing Organisation directory listings and images, collection item information and images, and any other text and images that have an identified contributor credit.
You need written permission to use content
You need written permission from the copyright owner to reproduce, copy, use, communicate to the public, share, download, adapt, or create works derived from content on this website. If you do not have permission, you will be breaching copyright and other intellectual property rights.
The only exceptions to this are:
- using information on this website for purposes of private study, research, criticism, review, or education, as permitted by New Zealand’s Copyright Act 1994
- using content where the Contributing Organisation clearly states you can use it without getting written permission.
These general licencing terms do not apply to material on the website that is covered by the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981.
You need Te Papa’s written permission where copyright is owned by Te Papa
To request permission to use Te Papa’s content on this website (including the Kōtuia logo), please contact Te Papa via the ‘Contact us’ page in the website footer.
You need the Contributing Organisation’s written permission where copyright is owned by the Contributing Organisation
To request permission to use content contributed by a Contributing Organisation, please contact the Contributing Organisation listed under the item you want to use. If you can’t see who the Contributing Organisation is, please contact the National Services Te Paerangi team at Te Papa for help.
Only use images of tangata whenua or taonga Māori for specific purposes
Images of tangata whenua or taonga Māori are of significant cultural importance to whānau, hapū, and iwi. You can only use these images for research, study, personal, and education purposes.
If you would like to use such images for any other purpose, you must contact the Contributing Organisation directly.
Use images according to their rights and licences
You can only use images of taonga where the Contributing Organisation clearly says so on the item’s record. Your use of the image must also follow the conditions outlined in the accompanying rights or licence statement.
Please contact the relevant Contributing Organisation for further information.
Include credits when using information from Kōtuia
When you use information from Kōtuia in any content, you must acknowledge Kōtuia as the source of information, and include the date of publication on the website.
For example, using the Chicago citation, the credit for using information found on the Kōtuia home page is:
Kōtuia ngā Kete Home Page. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. 2022. Accessed September 12, 2022. http://
Contributing Organisations are responsible for content they contribute
If you’re a Contributing Organisation, you are responsible for ensuring that the content you contribute to Kōtuia is lawful, and that you have all necessary rights and permissions to contribute that content.
You must not contribute any content that:
- breaches any third party right, including copyright or other intellectual property rights, or rights of privacy
- is objectionable (for example, because it is obscene, harassing, threatening, harmful, or inappropriate), defamatory, or unlawful in any way
- is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading in any way.
Where content you contribute includes personal information, you are responsible for ensuring that you comply with relevant privacy law relating to that personal information.
You are responsible for supplying accurate information about taonga you share on Kōtuia. You must also make sure taonga are cleared for use on this website – this includes taonga still in copyright, and images and content that are subject to intellectual property rights.
Te Papa can remove content from Contributing Organisations without notice
You agree that Te Papa can immediately and without notice to you remove content you’ve contributed if Te Papa considers that the content breaches the Terms. Te Papa may also remove your access as a Contributing Organisation. Please see Te Papa’s Terms and Conditions for more information about how Te Papa makes decisions about removing content.
Contributing organisations agree they may be contacted by other users
As a Contributing Organisation, you understand that other users of Kōtuia will contact you directly if they have concerns about the content you have contributed or with requests for permission to use it. You should only agree to a third party’s use of content if you have the rights and permissions to do so.
Contributing Organisations grant Te Papa a licence to display content on Kōtuia
If you are a Contributing Organisation, by contributing content, you confirm that you have all necessary rights to contribute that content, and that you are not breaching any third party rights by doing so. You also grant Te Papa a non-exclusive, royalty free, permanent, non-transferrable, non-sublicensable, worldwide licence to display that content on Kōtuia.
Contributing Organisations are responsible for legal costs
If you contribute content to Kōtuia, you are responsible for any loss, damage, costs (including legal costs), or expenses that arise directly or indirectly from such content, and from any breach of the Terms by you.
You also agree that Te Papa is not responsible for any costs, damages, losses, claims (alleged or actual), suits, actions, demands, fines, liabilities, and expenses arising directly or indirectly from legal action or the threat of legal action relating to content you have provided on Kōtuia.
Contributing Organisations agree to the terms and conditions of eHive and Digital NZ
If you’re a Contributing Organisation, your use of Kōtuia is subject to you signing up to and complying with the eHive and Digital NZ terms and conditions in effect at the time of your use. Current versions of those terms and conditions are linked below, but it is your responsibility to check them regularly.
Please read the eHive Terms and Conditions
Please read the Digital NZ Terms and Conditions
Links on Kōtuia are not endorsement or authorisation
Links from this website to other web locations are provided for convenience, and do not indicate endorsement or authorisation by Te Papa. Te Papa does not assume any responsibility for any other web locations, including content posted on them, or products or services offered on those web locations.
Links from this website to other web locations are provided for convenience, and do not indicate endorsement or authorisation by Te Papa. Te Papa does not assume any responsibility for any other web locations, including content posted on them, or products or services offered on those web locations.
Te Papa is only liable where legally required
Te Papa does not guarantee the completeness, accuracy, currency, or continuity of any information provided via the website, except where it is legally required to do so.
Te Papa will not be liable in any way for any loss, damage, costs, or expenses that may arise directly or indirectly from using information on this website. This includes any advice, opinion, information, content, representation, or omission. Te Papa is only liable where legally required.
Te Papa’s privacy policy applies to personal information you supply
You don’t need to provide any personal information to browse this website. If you provide personal information voluntarily – for example, through the ‘Contact us’ function – Te Papa’s Privacy Statement will apply.
The laws of Aotearoa New Zealand apply to these Terms
The Terms are governed by New Zealand law, and you submit to the jurisdiction of the New Zealand Courts.