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Here is an update from the www.nzherald.co.nz
Fantasy toys spark legal game between Maori group and Lego
31.05.2001 By ANGELA GREGORY and NZPA
Maori groups are seeking an urgent response from Lego following accusations
that the Danish toymaker is indulging in "cultural and linguistic piracy" by
attempting to patent aspects of Maori culture for a new game.
Wellington lawyer Maui Solomon has written to Lego on behalf of Treaty of
Waitangi Y262 claimants over its "Bionicle Toys" which are being promoted
with an internet fantasy game.
Set on a tropical island called Mata Nui (open to the sun) the new Lego
product uses Maori names like Whenua, Onewa, Pohatu, Tohunga and Kanohi for
characters and models.
The lawyer's letter calls for sales of Bionicle, which is now selling in
Europe and due out soon in the United States, to be suspended. It gives Lego
10 days to answer accusations that it has sought to patent words and
concepts taken from Polynesian culture.
A spokeswoman for the claimants, Dell Wihongi, said they wanted the
distribution of the toy stopped to protect the wairua (spirit) of Maoridom.
Mr Solomon is overseas but another lawyer involved in the case, Leo Watson,
said they wanted a quick response from Lego.
He said existing laws to protect collective intellectual property were
inadequate, and the claimants wanted to explain to Lego that it must
understand and respect the underlying tikanga of Maori.
In Copenhagen a Lego spokeswoman, Eva Lykkegaard, said the company had not
tried to interfere with the cultural heritage of Polynesian peoples.
She said that Lego had drawn partly on Polynesian culture for inspiration in
its new product, but stressed that only the name Bionicle, a combination of
"biology" and "chronicle," had been registered as a trademark.
She also downplayed Lego concerns about litigation over the matter, saying
"this affair is not a legal issue but a sentimental one."
In lugnet.loc.uk, Benjamin Whytcross writes:
> In lugnet.loc.uk, James Stacey writes:
> >
> > My Bro' in law was telling me he had read somewhere about TLC getting sued
> > by some tribespeople somewhere for using their sacred tribal names for the
> > bionicle range. Has anyone else heard anything about this or is it a bunch
> > of schwa
> > --
> > James Stacey
> > www.minifig.co.uk
>
> G'day,
>
> yep, I think it was the Pacific Island area that was against TLG on
> this...In fact I believe it is a group of Maoris who were taking TLG to
> court on it. The reason, as I recall, was that TLG was trying to
> 'copy-right/trademark' the names of the Bionicles, when the names were taken
> directly from the Pacific Islanders gods or something like that, and it was
> getting into how far a company can go in naming products based on some-ones
> beliefs and then trying to prevent whatever name being used, even possibly
> in its original context. [though I could be wrong.]
>
> Benjamin Whytcross
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Bionicle
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| (...) G'day, yep, I think it was the Pacific Island area that was against TLG on this...In fact I believe it is a group of Maoris who were taking TLG to court on it. The reason, as I recall, was that TLG was trying to 'copy-right/trademark' the (...) (23 years ago, 4-Jun-01, to lugnet.loc.uk, lugnet.loc.au, lugnet.loc.nz)
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