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A row is brewing over who should be paid everytime the traditional haka Ka Mate is performed.
The haka Ka Mate roots stem back to the 1820's and a Ngati Toa chief called Te Rauparaha and today the passion for this Haka has grown rather than diminished.
Haka Ka Mate has gained worldwide attention and the government has agreed to negotiate with Ngati Toa iwi in the latest Waitangi deed of settlement on how to protect the haka. But the authors of the haka are looking for royalties everytime it is performed.
"The agreement is we will explore further option for the Haka between now and the signing of our deed of settlement. The important thing now is Ngati Toa has retained recognition of the haka," says Matiu Rei, Ngati Toa.
Ngati Toa says many have taken on the haka as a show of national pride and now is the time for them to have the right to get legal protection and money from it.
"Now is the appropriate time to discuss as it's heading into our treaty breeches, the timing is right. The timing is great as there are all sorts of things happening in the world and Aotearoa as well," says Rei.
But getting money for the traditional use of the haka may not be that easy because an expert says its real value may lie on the rugby field.
Intellectual property rights lawyer Earl Gray says Ngati Toa would need the government to change the law.
"They can look at reviving the copyright protection which would have expired but it would need special legislation to bring copyright back," says Rei.
Protecting a song or dance can be fruitful, the Happy Birthday a song sang by millions was composed more than 100 years ago and is still protected by copyright.
Despite many singing it at no cost, it still collects $2 million in royalties when used commercially.
