Tasmania appears close to clinching a deal to name the 19th AFL side the Devils amid ongoing talks with US entertainment giant Warner Brothers.
While the nickname has been used for Tassie teams at underage level for several years, there were initial fears the new team would be unable to do the same at the elite level.
The AFL filed a trademark application for the names Tasmania Devils and Tassie Devils, and a Tasmania Devils logo, in May 2019 but they have been provisionally refused multiple times due to Warner Bros’ trademark for the character Taz.
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However the company and AFL have spoken in recent days, potentially allowing the preferred team name to go ahead.
“The Tasmanian Devil [“Taz”] is an iconic Looney Tunes character and Warner Bros. appreciates the AFL’s acknowledgement and respect of our registered rights,” a Warner Bros Discovery spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“We have reached out to the league, and we look forward to a happy solution shortly.”
Meanwhile Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff seemed to suggest the state would ignore the corporation if it doesn’t go along with them.
“Discussions with Warner Bros about potentially using the Tasmanian Devils name are ongoing,” he tweeted.
“But, let’s face it, it’s our animal, and we’ll use it if we want.”
On Fox Footy’s AFL 360, host Gerard Whateley quipped: “I’m not quite sure that’s how trademark law works”.
The AFL and Tasmanian government are expected to appoint a club board in the coming weeks, who will then select the first president as well as the name.
