Website not a kindred spirit, says Anne authority

The P.E.I. government is investigating a new website for young girls that it says is using images of Anne of Green Gables without permission.

Called annesdiary.com, the Toronto-based website says it is "inspired by the much-loved Anne Of Green Gables novels." Aimed at girls aged six to 14, it claims to be the most secure website for children in the world. It requires a fingerprint reader and registration papers signed by a professional as recognized by the company running the site.

But it is not the company's security protocol that caught the attention of the Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority. Anne is a trademark owned by the government of Prince Edward Island, and Development Minister Richard Brown told CBC News on Thursday they take violations of that trademark seriously.

"We're pursuing this quite vigorously," said Brown, who visited the website and noted many references to and images of Anne.

"Anne of Green Gables is a trademark of Prince Edward Island, and we're going to protect that trademark."

The Anne Authority, which is jointly owned by the province and the heirs of author L. M. Montgomery, was established to ensure only a wholesome image of Anne is reflected in products it licenses. The authority says they haven't given permission to annesdiary.com.

Emily Want, spokeswoman for annesdiary.com, said she approached the Montgomery heirs for permission to use Anne images, but the family was not interested in her request. Want said she'll wait to hear from the Anne Authority before she decides her next move.