Ananova:

A computer programmer from St Petersburg has cloned a New Zealand law firm's website and changed its details to make it appear Russian.

Law firm A J Park's website was plagarised down to the last detail: the firm's Wellington and Auckland offices became the St Petersburg and Helsinki offices.

Partner Greg Arthur became Grigory Fokin, while managing partner Andrew Collins was renamed Andrew Colmogoroff.

The firm's general manager, John Lamb, known as Boris or Dmitry on the Russian site, said staff's first reaction was to laugh.

He added: "Then we realised it was misleading our clients, who were not getting up-to-date or accurate information, and others with a website run the same risk."

The firm became aware of the imitation site when an overseas associate recognised an A J Park article.

Staff traced the site to the St Petersburg man, who blamed a colleague.

He has shut down the site at the firm's instruction and no legal action will be taken, The New Zealand Herald reports.