新西兰将建“惠莱坞”挑战好莱坞

新西兰惠灵顿机场方面上周六宣布，他们将在惠灵顿的一座山上竖起一块长30米宽8米的标志牌，上面写上Wellywood（惠莱坞）这几个字。机场首席执行官表示，希望以这种方式促进当地电影业的发展。电影《指环王》三部曲的导演彼得 杰克逊来自惠灵顿；从事电影特效和道具、曾获奥斯卡奖的韦塔工作室也位于惠灵顿。对此，新西兰国内不少人表示这种做法纯属效仿，对宣传电影业并无益处。美国好莱坞方面则表示，好莱坞这个名称是注册商标，“惠莱坞”标志属于侵权行为。好莱坞商会会长表示正在与律师磋商应对事宜。

Wellington Airport announced Saturday it will erect an eight-by-30 metre (26x100 foot) Wellywood sign on a hillside it owns overlooking the city.

The New Zealand capital of Wellington is to have a giant "Wellywood" sign emblazoned across a hillside despite criticism and threats of legal action for the blatant copy of the famed Hollywood symbol.

Wellywood was first mooted 15 months ago, prompting Hollywood Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leron Gubler to challenge the idea saying the world famous Hollywood lettering was trademarked.

"If they do that with the Wellywood sign then I would think that would be a violation of our trademark ... I am checking that with our attorney," he said.

But Wellington Airport announced Saturday it will erect an eight-by-30 metre (26x100 foot) Wellywood sign on a hillside it owns overlooking the city.

Airport chief executive Steve Fitzgerald said they wanted to promote the film industry in the city which is home to acclaimed director Peter Jackson and the Oscar-winning Weta Workshop which designs and manufactures movie props.

"At Wellington Airport we are proud to do this through celebrating Wellington's talent and success," Fitzgerald said.

"Wellington has already produced two of the top five highest grossing films of all time and there are high hopes that there is much more success to come."

However, a New Zealand marketing company director Wayne Attwell described a Wellywood sign as "quite crass" and said it would detract from the perception of Wellington as a sophisticated city.

"The sign is positioning the city as 'We are Wellywood. We are a bit try-hard. We are a bit behind the times. We are a follower'."

A Wellington MP, Trevor Mallard, joined the criticism saying "this is a pale imitation of the Hollywood sign which makes us look like try-hards".

Jackson, the director of the much-garlanded "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, supports the Wellywood idea but British actor Sir Ian McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the three movies, has given it the thumbs down.

Jack Yan, co-author of Beyond Branding and a director of the Medinge Group branding think-tank in Sweden, believed Wellywood breached intellectual property law and has notified the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce the sign is going ahead.

"I do not believe parody is a defence in this case," he said.