Australian Football League hopeful WBD will allow team to use 'Devils' name

Australian Football League CEO Gillon McLachlan is “confident a deal could be reached” with Warner Bros. Discovery to allow the new expansion team in Tasmania “to be named the Tasmanian Devils should that be the name settled on by the new club,” according to Jon Pierik of the Melbourne AGE. The two sides “could be headed for a legal fight over the trademark rights to the Tasmanian Devil,” which is a long-time character in the Looney Tunes series. Tasmania’s under-18 AFL team “already uses the Devils name ... but does not profit from merchandise, unlike the commercially driven senior league.” McLachlan indicated that a final decision on a name “would be made in part with the Tasmanian public but a deal with Warner Bros should be able to be done.” McLachlan: “I know there has been debate around the legalities and copyright issues. That can broadly be worked through. I know there would be broadminded people at Warner Bros, that will be for others to decide” (Melbourne AGE, 5/3).