One of Bristol’s biggest visitor attractions is facing a potentially expensive court case after an American firm began legal action claiming they had breached their copyright and designs.
Wake The Tiger has welcomed more than a quarter of a million visitors since it opened in St Philip’s Marsh in Bristol back in July 2022, with young and old going through its ‘out of this world walk-through labyrinth of exploration’. But now a firm called Meow Wolf, which operates five similar interactive and immersive art installation venues in the United States, has filed a lawsuit in a UK court claiming Wake The Tiger has stolen its intellectual property.
Wake The Tiger said it 'strongly disputes' the claim, and said they believed the legal action is 'unfounded and an aggressive tactic by a much larger' American business with rapid expansion plans.
Little detail is known yet about the basis for Meow Wolf’s claim. The firm has hired a UK legal team called Waterfront Solicitors, and issued a ‘Part 7’ intellectual property claim covering copyright and design right. Wake The Tiger has acknowledged the claim and engaged its own law firm, and the case was registered as ‘active’ with the UK courts, although it is understood an initial hearing has not yet been held.