KEY POINTS:
Two of New Zealand's most popular consumer guides are at war over claims of a copied logo.
Healthy Food Guide has accused Consumer magazine of misleading shoppers by copying its logo on a healthy food wallet guide. Consumer magazine has hit back, accusing Healthy Food Guide of trying to involve customers of both magazines in a legal fight.
The scrap began when Consumer magazine attached a healthy food wallet card to the inside of its July issue.
Consumer told the Weekend Herald it used its own font and colours, which included an orange and black logo reading "healthyfood".
But Healthy Food Guide said the logo was so similar to its green and black logo that subscribers had written in thinking it had published the wallet guide.
Through its lawyers, Healthy Food Guide has accused Consumer of trying to pass off its wallet card as somehow connected to the Healthy Food Guide.
Healthy Food Guide editor Niki Bezzant sent an email to subscribers asking for their views on the Consumer wallet card.
The email, titled "Calling all subscribers to Consumer magazine", said: "Are you a subscriber to Consumer magazine and did you see a copy of the July 2008 issue with the free healthy food shopping guide inside it? If so, we would be most grateful if you would let us know what you thought of the shopping guide."
Consumer magazine publisher Consumer NZ hit back with its own email to subscribers, saying Healthy Food Guide had "attacked Consumer's decision to include a free healthy food wallet card in the July 2008 magazine."
The email, from Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin, said it was "inappropriate and regrettable" Healthy Food Guide had involved customers in the dispute.
"Consumer sees no reason to draw loyal subscribers into this dispute, whether as witnesses or otherwise," said the email.
Consumer NZ's lawyers have written back to the Healthy Food Guide defending the use of the logo.
This week, Ms Chetwin told the Weekend Herald she did not think people would have thought the two organisations were linked.
She said it was well known that Consumer magazine had no ties to any other commercial organisation. Its policy of staying independent was spelled out on the opposite page to the wallet card.
"Consumer has been around for nearly 50 years and has been advocating healthy food for most of that time," she said.
Healthy Food Guide publisher Kim Mundell said she became aware of the issue only after several people wrote in to say they were confused by the wallet card.
She said Healthy Food Guide had no problem with Consumer magazine's publishing articles about healthy food.
But the company was taking a stand on the logo issue so other organisations would not think they could get away with copying.
Ms Mundell said where the issue went from here depended on Consumer magazine.
