Yeah right to trademark claim

DB Breweries is going to speak with a Tauranga church that it says is breaching trademark law by erecting a sign that looks similar to its famous Tui billboards.
Bethlehem Community Church on Moffat Road placed the sign six weeks ago stating 'Atheists have nothing to worry about! - Yeah Right'.


The sign erected by Bethlehem Community Church on Moffat Road. The church's Reverend Jim Wallace says the sign is not a copy of the Tui billboards.

The sign looks similar to the well-known Tui billboards with similar colours and layout, but the church's sign has a dove and the word 'spirit' replacing the Tui logo.
DB Breweries, the company that owns the Tui brand, is planning to speak with church representatives about the sign.
The company's communications manager, Jo Jalfon, says DB Breweries owns the Tui brand trademark.
"Essentially those that use it, as in this case, are breaching trademark law," says Jo.
Bethlehem Community Church reverend, Jim Wallace, denies the sign is a copy of the Tui brand.
"What breaches copyright? It's not actually a copy. It doesn't have the Tui brand on it at all."
Jim describes it as a 'Yeah Right' sign and says no one can copyright the words 'yeah right'.
"Yeah right' is actually a New Zealand colloquialism, so no one can call that a brand," says Jim.
DB Breweries is questioning why the church wants to associate itself with a beer brand.
"We're actually associating ourselves with the Holy Spirit, which is much more powerful than a Tui."
He says the church will remove the sign if they are bullied by the company.
"We are only a little church and if DB Breweries want to bully us, then we will certainly take it down."
"They are a multinational, big million dollar company. We can't stand up against them."

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