ACP/Pacific Publications in court for Logies battle
THE owner of TV Week magazine also owns Australian television's "night of nights", the NSW Supreme Court has heard as the legal battle begins over ownership of the Logies.
Going head to head for control of the TV event is Kerry Packer's Australian Consolidated Press (ACP) and Pacific Publications owned by Kerry Stokes' Seven Network.
ACP lawyer John Ireland, QC, argued that the company paid for all associated goodwill and trademarks, including the Logies, when it bought TV Week for $60 million from Pacific Publications in July.
"TV Week paid for every expense associated with the Logies ... and gained the benefit of exploitation that flowed from that goodwill," Ireland said.
Readers of TV Week had played in an integral part in the ceremony by voting the winners, he said.
The use of the Logies trademark in any other awards night organised by PacPubs would constitute "deceptive use", he told the court.
ACP intends to call former producers of the Logies, Ron Davis, Peter Wynn and Peter Faiman, as part of its case.
It is not known whether former host Bert Newton will be among the witnesses.
The hearing before Justice Peter McClellan will last four days.
