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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2001

The Lego company has agreed to stop production of its "Bionicle" line of toys because they feature sacred Maori names, according the Associated Press, although a follow-up report only says the company will suspend future product lines that use ethnic names.

Lego senior executive Brian Soerensen had met with Maori representatives about the issue, said a Maori lawyer. The Bionicle line is made up of "spiritual people" and uses Maori words like Tohunga (priest), Kanohi (face) annd Whenua (earth).

According to an international AP report that quotes Lego spokeswoman Eva Lykkegaard, the current product line will not be halted because it "complies with all legal requirements." A visit to the Lego web site will show the toys in question.

Lego has long produced "Indian" toy sets.

Get the Story:
Lego Halt Use of Some Names (Domestic link: AP 10/30)

Relevant Links:
Bionicle - http://www.lego.com/eng/bionicle