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A row has erupted over who can take credit for the design of an award- winning plastic water bottle that has earned accolades in New Zealand and overseas.
The 42 Below volcanic-spring water bottle picked up top honours for its distinctive lava-lamp style in Italy and then Auckland last year.
The directors of Auckland design company Wilderness, Kelvin Soh and Simon Oosterdijk, say their company came up with the concept of the bottle for which they deserve credit.
They were pleased that 42 Below paid tribute to them as designers when the bottle won best PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle at the prestigious Bottled Water World Design Awards in Italy in September.
But at the Plastic Industry Awards in October the bottle-maker Linkplas failed to mention their input on the night or in media releases celebrating its wins.
Mr Soh told the Weekend Herald last night that he had since asked Linkplas to remedy the omissions but could not reach any agreement.
Wilderness was now taking legal action against Linkplas, he said.
"We designed the concept of the bottle and drew it up ... We told them what to do."
Mr Soh said it was intellectually "hurtful and damaging" to the future of Wilderness for Linkplas to allow itself to be credited with the design.
Linkplas managing director Steve Morrison did not accept that Wilderness designed the bottle.
He said he did not want to get into the details of why he held that view because of the legal action that was under way.
He had taken legal advice and was confident of winning the case in court.
"We will be fiercely defending this ... There is no substance to the claims that they have made."
Mr Morrison said Linkplas would countersue Wilderness for spreading malicious rumours.
He said he had offered to meet the Wilderness directors to discuss their differences but that had been turned down.
Mr Morrison said the lava bottle had won two categories and the supreme award at the Plastic Industry Awards. The company had had full approval from 42 Below to enter the awards, he said.
Geoff Ross, chief executive of 42 Below, said he did not want to get involved in the scrap as "it's their issue".
Mr Ross did, however, say Wilderness had done a good job to come up with the look and design of the bottle which Linkplas might have had to "tweak" to get to commercial manufacture.
