Maori Legal Action

[Louis]

http://www.news.com....5012752,00.html

 

AN English Premier League soccer club has upset New Zealanders with plans to perform a bastardised rip-off of their famous haka before its season opener this week.

 

The Everton Football Club has hired Maori dancers to perform the dance as Everton and Arsenal run onto the park at Liverpool on Saturday.

 

Club management has vowed to go ahead with it despite written threats from a leading Maori lawyer that the dance trespasses on Maori rights and disrespects their cultural heritage.

 

Intellectual property lawyer Maui Solomon said he thought the haka, which starts "Everton! Everton! He, ha, he, ha!", was "totally disrespectful".

 

"People overseas need to know Maori culture isn't just up for grabs," said Solomon, who represents three Maori tribes who are making an intellectual property rights claim on the use of the haka.

 

"This is the thin edge of the wedge. People all over the world are appropriating Maori culture for commercial purposes."

 

Te Riki Wi Neera, a spokesman for Ngati Toa, the tribal home of the most famous Ka Mate haka performed by the All Blacks, said it was sad to see anyone making a joke of the war dance.

 

"Ideally we'd rather not see this happening at all. It's awful to see and I think the situation with rip-offs is going to get a whole lot worse as we get closer to the (New Zealand-hosted) Rugby World Cup in 2011."

 

But the club was unrepentant, saying the haka - unveiled as part of the team's new strip and "All Black" look - was never meant to be disrespectful.

 

"As a club we understand what the haka represents and we simply wanted to celebrate the launch of our new all black playing strip with a dedicated Everton haka," Everton FC spokesman Mark Rowan said.

 

He said the club had had "nothing but positive comments" since the haka was first performed last week, "and we do plan to perform the Everton haka again".

 

The New Zealand Rugby Union is not worried, with commercial manager Paul Dalton saying intellectual property rights around the All Blacks were monitored carefully.

 

"Our main concern here would be making sure there's no confusion for our fans," he said.

 

"Everton's new pink and black strip, at first look, doesn't look like anything All Black fans should be worried about."

 

It is the second haka rip-off to land the Brits in hot water this year.

 

In February, the dance was performed by a group of drunken men leaving a strip club in Britain's world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Taming of the Shrew.

 

Maori tribes were also unimpressed by a rendition by Italian women in a Fiat commercial and again by its use in the 2008 Hollywood rugby movie Forever Strong.

[12ubb3rduck]

Haha don't worry Maori are pritty greedy they are trying to claim ownership to the beachs/sea in New Zealand atm. They wont win.

[Jesse_Wray]

I'm definitely on the Maori's side with this one. Very, very disrespectful.

 

I'd also be tempted to sue Everton just for being so tacky. The whole thing just looks embarassing.

[Oztoffee]

I'm definitely on the Maori's side with this one. Very, very disrespectful.

 

I'd also be tempted to sue Everton just for being so tacky. The whole thing just looks embarassing.

 

Sorry Jesse,

best to keep out of this unless you know whay you are talking about.

Having lived in NZ for 25 years or more, I can tell you that this is just another in a long line of bollocks!

(Intellectual rights, my arse!) All this from a bunch of "what's in it for me?" lawyers. These are the same wankers who tried to sue the NZ government for selling FM radio frequencies that were "our radio waves" i.e. theirs by right.

 

Unbelievable!

SAY NO MORE!

[jamiemaher85]

Sorry Jesse,

best to keep out of this unless you know whay you are talking about.

Having lived in NZ for 25 years or more, I can tell you that this is just another in a long line of bollocks!

(Intellectual rights, my arse!) All this from a bunch of "what's in it for me?" lawyers. These are the same wankers who tried to sue the NZ government for selling FM radio frequencies that were "our radio waves" i.e. theirs by right.

 

Unbelievable!

SAY NO MORE!

That's amazing!

[Lowensda]

Sorry Jesse,

best to keep out of this unless you know whay you are talking about.

Having lived in NZ for 25 years or more, I can tell you that this is just another in a long line of bollocks!

(Intellectual rights, my arse!) All this from a bunch of "what's in it for me?" lawyers. These are the same wankers who tried to sue the NZ government for selling FM radio frequencies that were "our radio waves" i.e. theirs by right.

 

Unbelievable!

SAY NO MORE!

 

That is unbelievable aha! im going to sue the maori for breathing in my air molecules...i even have evidence, i bet that at least 1 molecule from my lungs, is festering inside the lung of a maori tribe's person!!

[MikeO]

I'm definitely on the Maori's side with this one. Very, very disrespectful.

 

I'd also be tempted to sue Everton just for being so tacky. The whole thing just looks embarassing.

The first part I'll leave to those that know.

 

The second I agree with 100%. Skin crawlingly embarrassing...the Arsenal fans will piss themselves laughing (after they pick their jaws up off the floor) on Saturday.

Ill conceived, stupid, meaningless (there is zero connection between Everton's "black" history and New Zealand) and mortifying. Don't know whose idea it was but they need the sack <_< !

[Jesse_Wray]

Sorry Jesse,

best to keep out of this unless you know whay you are talking about.

Having lived in NZ for 25 years or more, I can tell you that this is just another in a long line of bollocks!

(Intellectual rights, my arse!) All this from a bunch of "what's in it for me?" lawyers. These are the same wankers who tried to sue the NZ government for selling FM radio frequencies that were "our radio waves" i.e. theirs by right.

 

Unbelievable!

SAY NO MORE!

 

While I'm from across the pond (in Aus), I'm well aware of the history of Maori lawsuits.

But I wasn't referring to the legalities of it all, just about the lack of respect to the Maori culture. First of all it's just down right tacky, which I'd argue cheapens something that Maori culture considers very important.

[iggy]

Intellectual property lawyer Maui Solomon said he thought the haka, which starts "Everton! Everton! He, ha, he, ha!", was "totally disrespectful".

 

More like they are totally lacking any form of a sense of humour!

 

I do agree however that this whole haka idea of the clubs is naff

[Lowensda]

Is it disrectful then, for shops like Topman to sell Jewellery with a Crucifix on? Surely that cheapens the image of the crucifix, yet you dont see a huge uproar there, considering how many people follow christianity and how stongly alot of people feel on it.

 

Personally i feel that because it was an interpretation rather than a direct copy of a 'classic' maori routine, it doesnt breach tradition. but you will feel different, i respect that!

[12ubb3rduck]

Jesus they arnt going to do it before the arsenal game are they. Every team that has disrespectd the haka has lost so its not a wise idea.

[Jesse_Wray]

Is it disrectful then, for shops like Topman to sell Jewellery with a Crucifix on? Surely that cheapens the image of the crucifix, yet you dont see a huge uproar there, considering how many people follow christianity and how stongly alot of people feel on it.

 

Personally i feel that because it was an interpretation rather than a direct copy of a 'classic' maori routine, it doesnt breach tradition. but you will feel different, i respect that!

 

No idea what Topman is sorry.

 

 

But forgetting about all that, surely everyone agrees this just looks like a joke and is embarassing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4o2bLb9f_E

[Lowensda]

No idea what Topman is sorry.

 

 

But forgetting about all that, surely everyone agrees this just looks like a joke and is embarassing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4o2bLb9f_E

 

http://www.topman.co.uk/ - This is Topman.

 

ANd yes i agree, it is a tad embarassing. But as the advertising team would say, 'it got people talking, so it worked '

[PFthetoffee]

I think the marketing dept are missing one critical thing though....its not 'all black'.....there is some hideous fluorescent pink in it as well.....and it does a good enough job of embarassing us on its own thankyou very much....

[rubecula]

If folks are upset by it why not get the All Blacks to perform it for us?

 

Maybe we can get the Aborigines from Aus to throw a few boomerangs around Tim Cahill as well and a few Sioux warriors to do a war dance behind Tim Howards goal.

 

That way we insult lots of ethnic people at once and the Maori's won't feel like they are the only ones having the piss taken out of them.

 

Maybe a few sword dancers in kilts to keep Moysie happy too.

[12ubb3rduck]

The haka wasnt made for the all blacks. If everton want to do a haka they should get traditonal Iwi in wearing the right attire and doing their tribes haka not this. Everton He Hah shit. il say it again EVERY TEAM IN HISTORY WHICH HAS DISREPECTED THE HAKA HAS LOST! Just as the aussies,welesh and boks and willie mason.

[12ubb3rduck]

Video of what happend to mason plus the kiwis win.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWgLLEBUPLQ&feature=fvw

[Lowensda]

The haka wasnt made for the all blacks. If everton want to do a haka they should get traditonal Iwi in wearing the right attire and doing their tribes haka not this. Everton He Hah shit. il say it again EVERY TEAM IN HISTORY WHICH HAS DISREPECTED THE HAKA HAS LOST! Just as the aussies,welesh and boks and willie mason.

 

12ubb3rduck, honestly dude. noones saying its right or wrong, all we were saying is that we didnt see how the Haka being performed by Maori dancers would be a problem? I didnt suggest it to the advertising board, i thought it was ok, i dnt know the tradition of Iwi people/beliefs...? Im not saying either that it hasnt disrespected people, it may have and obviously spark some feelings on the other side of the world but i dont think it was done on purpose. the bit in bold, maybe seem as naivity on the clubs part, i/among others didnt know it wasnt made for the all blacks? dont take it personaly man

[pete0]

as advertising goes, everton have done a very good job, and some greedy buggers from NZ are trying to cash in, if everton had offered to pay these maori tribes to do the dance which in there 'opinion' takes the piss out of there culture, i bet they would have done it with bells and whistles on.

NZ wear an all black kit and perform a haka, everton promote our all black kit and did are own version of the haka, nothin to do with the fact the haka has a maori connection, jus because of the all blacks doin it and that we have an all black kit end of.

any maori who is genuinely offended by this needs to join the politically correct police and then go write 100 lines of I AM SUCH A BORING LIFELESS TWAT WHO NEEDS TO GET A GRIP ON MY LIFE PRIORITIES on a black board

[MikeO]

NZ wear an all black kit and perform a haka, everton promote our all black kit and did are own version of the haka, nothin to do with the fact the haka has a maori connection, jus because of the all blacks doin it and that we have an all black kit end of.

But if it wasn't for the Maori connection then there'd be no all-black haka . To say we're doing a haka (performed by Maoris) which has nothing to do with Maoris is just plain daft.

It'd be like Barcelona coming up with a kit based on a morris-dancers outfit, sticking the Somerset Morris Troupe on at the Camp Nou skipping and jingling their bells and saying it has nothing to do with old English fertility rights .

[foobiezw]

Fair enough to the kiwi's, they're upset.

 

Don't see why they can't take it with a grain of salt though.

 

That said who wants to help me mail a sheep to them to appease them xD

[Oztoffee]

Fair enough to the kiwi's, they're upset.

 

Don't see why they can't take it with a grain of salt though.

 

That said who wants to help me mail a sheep to them to appease them xD

 

The kiwi's aren't upset - it's some maori lawyers who are "upset". The average maori bloke couldn't give a rat's. Let's get this thing straight once and for all...this is not about a haka, it's about money and putting one over the pakeha (white fella). Before we get too carried away, please remember that before the whites arrived these guys regularly hacked each other to pieces and ate the tasty bits ..... tribal warfare in a big way. The tribes in NZ were numerous and to say a haka (any haka) belongs to a particular tribe any more is crap as they've intermarried etc ever since the white blokes arrival.

Please put this whole thing to bed, it doesn't deserve any recognition whatsoever and is an absolute waste of time talking about it! And if your thinking that I'm a racist or uncaring...forget it. If it was worth any discussion, I'd be in! But it's not....and I'm not!

[12ubb3rduck]

The kiwi's aren't upset - it's some maori lawyers who are "upset". The average maori bloke couldn't give a rat's. Let's get this thing straight once and for all...this is not about a haka, it's about money and putting one over the pakeha (white fella). Before we get too carried away, please remember that before the whites arrived these guys regularly hacked each other to pieces and ate the tasty bits ..... tribal warfare in a big way. The tribes in NZ were numerous and to say a haka (any haka) belongs to a particular tribe any more is crap as they've intermarried etc ever since the white blokes arrival.

Please put this whole thing to bed, it doesn't deserve any recognition whatsoever and is an absolute waste of time talking about it! And if your thinking that I'm a racist or uncaring...forget it. If it was worth any discussion, I'd be in! But it's not....and I'm not!

 

What he said.