Manuka dispute's sour taste

John Key with liqueur-maker Darius Karani. Photo / Supplied

A legal stoush has erupted between two companies over the international use of the name "manuka", a native New Zealand shrub.

The dispute is liable to upset iwi: the fight for ownership of the shrub's name follows a Waitangi Tribunal report criticising German scientific exploitation of manuka without consulting Maori.

Manuka Gold honey liqueur, owned by Pakuranga company Exotica Enterprises, has been on the market for six months in New Zealand and China.

But when it applied to trademark the brand to sell in the UK, lawyers for another company using the Manuka Gold brand filed their opposition.

Waikato's Honey NZ (International) Ltd sells honey and other bee products advertised as offering health benefits. In the UK, some products are sold under the name Manuka Gold.

Darius Karani, owner of the liqueur brand, said he was "stunned" at the response, because the liqueur and honey products were entirely unrelated.

In Honey NZ's opposition letter, the lawyers said it could cause confusion between manuka honey and its byproducts including liqueur. "The identity of the marks and the nature of a highly specialised product such as manuka honey will result in customers wrongly assuming a connection," they said.

But intellectual property consultant Murray Stott, who represents Karani, said the issue was around an alcoholic product being linked to the name Manuka Gold. "One doesn't generally confuse honey with 22 per cent alcohol."

Greig Duncan from Honey NZ said protecting their brand was simply part of doing business. "We have registered and protected the Manuka Gold brand in all our trading markets," he said. "In the UK, Manuka Gold is a well-recognised brand."