God Defend New Zealand/Talk

So why don't some of you patriotic Kiwis add the lyrics? Presumably they're not copyright --Robert Merkel

As far as I know, copyright on the lyrics is held by the New Zealand government. I will try to contact someone to get the details. Incidentally, I wouldn't be surprised if some other countries' national anthems are covered by copyright, too. --Carey Evans

If it was written in 1876, copyright has already expired long time ago --Taw

The lyrics are available at http://www.cultureandheritage.govt.nz/anthem/index.htm . The copyright on the lyrics may have expired in the United States (as has everything else first published on or before December 31, 1922), but distributing things online requires worldwide rights, and governments outside the United States are not inhibited by the "limited times" clause of U.S. Const. 1.8.8 and can enact a perpetual copyright on a given work, such as what the UK government did to the Peter Pan cycle. Even then, don't count on anything else expiring in your lifetime.

Thanks - I couldn't have said it better myself. Should something like this go on a more general page on Wikipedia copyrights? --Carey Evans

However, the unaltered lyrics of a national anthem, even in their entirety, would almost certainly be fair use, wouldn't they? --Robert Merkel

I don't know about New Zealand, by the lyrics to Canada's national anthem are in the public domain. I always assumed that it was same worldwide, but someone should surely check it out. -- STG

I got an email today (2001-10-10) from Haydee Wilton at the Ministy for Culture and Heritage, regarding the copyright. Copyright on the English lyrics expired in 1948. She hasn't found out anything about the Maori lyrics yet, though, so I'll have to be patient until the relevant documentation can be tracked down. --Carey Evans

More info from Ailsa Caid at MCH: the Maori lyrics are covered by Crown copyright, which doesn't expire until 2079. --Carey Evans