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Ken Oath: Copyright infringement forces Devils to act swiftly
Tom Morris • July 23rd, 2026 12:53 pm
The Tasmania Devils have hit a roadblock with their latest ‘Ken Oath’ marketing campaign.
On Wednesday afternoon the AFL’s newest club launched the limited-edition t-shirt to mark the appointment of Ken Hinkley.
The merchandise was immediately available for pre-order for $60.
“Featuring an exclusive KEN OATH map illustration printed on our Tasmanian-made signature Devils bottle green unisex tee,” the now deleted page read on the official club website.
Why has the page gone the way of the Tasmanian Tiger?
It turns out marketing slang ‘Ken Oath’ was already licensed to a surfing brand which sells stickers, hoodies and bikinis in Queensland.
The copyright infringement forcing the Devils to act swiftly, or risk a legal battle.
The Brisbane company's website reads: “Kenoath is a Brisbane-based streetwear label which projects positivity and enthusiasm and captures the heart of Australian culture.
“Kenoath’s designs are bold, cheeky and laconic, blending wheels, waves and art into a fashion label of stoke.”
Faced with the prospect of pulling the Devils’ Ken Oath campaign just hours after it was launched, marketing executive Kath McCann reached out directly to the Brisbane small business to find a solution.
It's understood Des Hughes (the owner) and McCann have enjoyed healthy conversations across the last 24 hours.
So much so that Devils are hopeful of negotiating a collaboration with the Queensland brand, which was established in 2012.
“It was a cheeky, fun campaign but who would have thought that an Aussie slang term had been copyrighted,” McCann said to Channel 7 and SEN on Thursday morning.
“Once we became aware of the situation, we quickly stopped the promotion and reached out to Des, owner of the real ‘Kenoath’.
“In the spirit of great Australian collaboration, ‘Ken Oath’ is now on pause, but watch this space – there is something in the works!”
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a well-placed Hobart footy source was less optimistic when contacted on Thursday morning: “Ken Oath, we hardly knew ye,” the person said with a chuckle.
