Cameraman Bradley Ambrose on the job at the Auckland Nines.

News cameraman Bradley Ambrose will sue Prime Minister John Key for defamation in February 2016.

The High Court today confirmed a two-week trial had been set down for February 16.

Ambrose commenced proceedings following the "Teapot Tapes" saga, in which he left a microphone on the Prime Minister's cafe table when he met ACT leader John Banks in advance of the 2011 General Election.

Ambrose has maintained the microphone was left by mistake. He claimed Key made defamatory comments about him on three occasions since the incident.

When the suit was filed in December, Key said he would not be settling with Ambrose.

"I don't resile from anything I've said. It's been a long-standing dispute and in the end it will go through the court process," he said.

The case had a pre-trial telephone conference in the High Court today before Justice Graham Lang.