Tourism New Zealand and Warner Brothers are in talks over how tour operators can use the film The Hobbit in their marketing campaigns, following the recent kerfuffle between Warner Brothers and the Southampton pub called The Hobbit, reports Stuff.co.nz
A spokeswoman for Tourism New Zealand said, “Obviously Warner Bros have some very strict guidelines and restrictions on what the operators can and can’t do.
“We are seeking to have those guidelines clarified so we can share them with everyone concerned.”
Marketing campaigns would not be allowed to use the word hobbit.
“But operators could, for example, use the cast and crew and say `So-and-so stayed here or dined here’, things like that.
“Our objective is to make it possible for people to leverage as much as possible as they can from The Hobbit, where appropriate, and to ensure they are not going to land themselves in hot water.”
It is hoped the guidelines will be available to tour operators soon.
