NZ man wins 'family search' case

An Auckland man helping people reunite divided families has won a legal war over words with the massive Mormon church.

Robert Sintes, director of the website familytracing.co.nz, said his court cases with the third-largest church in the world were "by and large" sorted, after the Court of Appeal found in his favour over his using the words "family search".

The American Church, though its company Intellectual Reserve, had opposed Mr Sintes' use of the words when he applied for a trademark in 2005, the National Business Review reported.

The case was dismissed by the High Court, then the Court of Appeal found in Mr Sintes' favour, saying using the words "family search" would not indicate a connection with Intellectual Reserve.

Mr Sintes originally started the service in 2000 to help reunite separated families, after losing touch with his own family in 1949, then getting back in touch in the 1990s.

Though its website familysearch.org, the Mormon church offers free family histories, genealogies and family trees.

- NZPA