Fijian New Zealanders are upset that a US businessman has trademarked ‘bula’, the traditional Fijian greeting. Ross Kashtan applied for the protection in April after opening Bula Kafe in Florida, a café which sells kava, coffee and botanical tea.
The move has been met with widespread criticism from Fijian communities around the world. “It's not just a greeting like hello or aloha," said Adi Asenaca Uluiviti, spokeswoman for the Fijian Community Association of Auckland. "It's disappointing to use words that demean our language and detract from its purpose, it's distasteful and degrades our culture. It's something we take pride in and we don't want it to be trivialised by trademarking. They steal it for economic value, but we don't used for that purpose. We want to use if for what it was intended for, pass it on for our ancestors and keep its integrity."
The response has been swift, with Pasifika leaders in New Zealand urging people to leave one-star reviews on internet platforms. The trademark is only effective in the USA, and New Zealand law restricts trademarks which would “impact a significant portion of the community”.
