Christchurch's new shipping container mall, which is due to open on Saturday, is facing legal action from a similar British venture.
More than 70 containers have been set up in the central-city Cashel Mall, where about threequarters of the buildings have been demolished because of earthquake damage.
The organisers, who have been describing it as probably the world's first pop-up container mall, say they were surprised by comments from Boxpark Ltd in Britain.
Lawyer Mark Gavin says he has written to Boxpark denying any infringement.
He says the term 'pop-up mall' is a catchphrase and Boxpark has failed to identify what the specific intellectual property rights are and how they have been infringed.
