Spirit takes fight to Sydney

By Nino Bucci
Updated November 6 2012 - 9:58pm, first published July 15 2008 - 11:32am

BENDIGO Spirit representatives will today meet with Basketball Australia and the newly formed Sydney Spirit in a bid to resolve the naming furore that envelops the two teams.The Advertiser yesterday reported that the Sydney side had chosen the Spirit moniker for the National Basketball League team that will replace the Razorbacks and the financially crippled Kings, despite Bendigo’s Women’s National Basketball League side being known as the Spirit since May 2007.Bendigo Spirit general manager Wendy James - who will today fly to Sydney with chairman Jock Clark - said she hoped the matter would be resolved quickly, but reiterated that the WNBL side would not consider changing its name.Basketball Australia chief executive officer Scott Derwin said that Bendigo did not have legal ownership of the Spirit name - something that Sydney is presently attempting through the trademark process.“Bendigo Spirit don’t have legal ownership of the name, but I’m hoping we don’t have to worry too much about legalities.“I’m hoping that in good faith we will look at it (in terms of) the good of basketball, both men and women,’’ Derwin said.“Sydney, I understand has registered a business name called Sydney Spirit and I believe is in the process of taking trademark action.Derwin said the lack of a legal case supporting Bendigo and the relatively short time it had spent under the Spirit banner were significant differences between their plight and that of the NBL Perth Wildcats, which were recently affronted when the WNBL Christchurch team moved to use their nickname.He said the Wildcats had used the name for 20 years and owned the name legally, making the decision of Basketball Australia relatively simple compared to finding a solution for the latest fracas.“Our stance as we speak is that Sydney needs to find a new name because that’s ours,’’ James said yesterday.“To be quite honest, we’re not looking at it at this point as a Sydney issue, they’ve been directed to use that name, so really what we’ve got here is a hierachy that has overlooked the correct process.“I really think this is just a mistake.’’As Bendigo fights for its name, it can at least be content that WNBL will again be on live television this season.The ABC was considering scrapping the broadcast, but games will again be broadcast on ABC2 this season, much to the delight of James and Bendigo Spirit supporters.

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