WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Playboy Enterprises International Inc. has been offered cash to settle a claim that a Playboy-themed charity ball to benefit sick children in New Zealand infringed the entertainment empire’s trademark, the organizer said Tuesday.

Craig Douglas [pictured] is being sued by Playboy for 26 alleged trademark infringements at The Playboy Ball in the southern city of Christchurch last September.

Douglas’ Full Throttle Events company, which organized the event, raised close to 20,000 New Zealand dollars (US$13,200; €10,300) for Koru Care Christchurch, a sick children’s charity.

The charity event attracted 500 ball-goers, some wearing bunny ears. Part of the entertainment was provided by local band Hefner – no relation to Playboy Enterprises’ founder, Hugh Hefner.

Douglas said U.S.-based Playboy Enterprises – publisher of the famous men’s magazine, as well as themed clubs – gave him permission for the Sept. 16 ball eight months earlier, but later demanded 25 percent of the take.

Douglas said he refused because it was a charity event.

He said Full Throttle Events had now offered Playboy a cash settlement, and the High Court on Monday adjourned the case until Feb. 27.

“We’ve made them a settlement offer to keep the thing out of court and to get rid of it,” Douglas said. “I just want the thing to go away.”

A confidentiality clause prevented him revealing the amount offered, he said.

He estimated that fighting the case would cost him up to NZ$60,000 (US$39,600; €30,900).

“We feel we may be being used as an example … to give us a bit of a thrashing to tell the general public ‘don’t (mess) with Playboy because we’re bigger than anyone else,'” Douglas said.