Wiggles take on tourism company over 'big red boats'

Australian children's entertainers The Wiggles and a Kiwi tourism business are seeing red in a clash for trademark words.

Ngai Tahu Tourism and The Wiggles both use the phrase "big red boats" as part of their business and both have moved to secure the words as a trademark brand, The Otago Daily Times reported on Monday.

The Wiggles have a big red boat - and a big red car - that are part of the world-famous children's entertainment act.

But Ngai Tahu Tourism, which owns Shotover Jet in Queenstown, uses the "big red" brand for a range of its merchandise.

The two brands were set to clash after The Wiggles applied to the Intellectual Property Office in New Zealand for trademark rights to the phrase.

The Kiwi tourism company filed a notice of opposition to the office, contending a double trademark would be confusing to all, but its southern regional manager David Kennedy later said the issue would be resolved amicably.

"Basically, we were both registering trademarks at the same time and realised they were going for `big red boat' and we were registering `big red," Mr Kennedy said.

"We just thought we should talk to each other and we are having amicable discussions."

He also said his two-year-old son was looking forward to a trip with his parents to Christchurch to see The Wiggles in April and didn't want to get on their wrong side.

"I don't know if they're going to be around (Queenstown), but if they are around I'd like them to come and see our big red," Mr Kennedy said.

AAP