Australian rugby/RA

[Wilson]

NZRU seeking legal advice over the NRL’s use of ‘Chiefs’ for the new PNG team. NZRU finally waking up to the NRLs growing commercial presence in Oceania?

Whatever legal challenge they put forward will likely fail, professional teams carrying the ‘Chiefs’ name is hardly proprietary, you’ve got Exeter Chiefs and Kansas City Chiefs in other comps/codes also.

I think the potential issue is around also using the same colours as well as name, but it's likely they're just trying to get ahead of things just in case there is anything egregious in the final branding.

Possibly a bit of a storm in a teacup due to a few particularly gullible journos falling for an AI mock up some random did that went around a few weeks back, which was basically a copy of the chiefs logo.

 

[kiap]

I think the potential issue is around also using the same colours as well as name, but it's likely they're just trying to get ahead of things just in case there is anything egregious in the final branding.

Possibly a bit of a storm in a teacup due to a few particularly gullible journos falling for an AI mock up some random did that went around a few weeks back, which was basically a copy of the chiefs logo.

For sure, pilfering the logo is action worthy. But the black, gold, white, red combination is already a thing.

 

[Wilson]

For sure, pilfering the logo is action worthy. But the black, gold, white, red combination is already a thing.

It's a bit different to Exeter with both these sides existing in much the same market, but I generally agree. I don't think there's any intent to go hard here, but in my (limited) understanding of trademark law you do need to be fairly pro-active in protecting your brand. The big issue will potentially come up will probably be jersey designs, if the PNG Chiefs were to put out a jersey too similar in design to a classic chiefs one at a cheaper price they may have case.

AI is probably the other part that would have them worried or at least keen to get in front of it - while it's unlikely PNG will trying to get away with active infringement, use of AI in lazy design processes will greatly increase the risk of them accidentally copying existing Chiefs branding without realizing. The (Waikato) Chiefs getting ahead of things here will help guard against that, and probably be key to them protecting their own trade mark if it comes to that.