ABC Friends still using ABC logo to launch attacks on government despite stop order

Activist group ABC Friends continues to use the national broadcaster’s famous logo on its politically charged merchandise in the lead-up to the federal election.

Activist group ABC Friends continues to use the national broadcaster’s iconic logo on its politically charged merchandise in the lead-up to the federal election – despite the media organisation’s boss ordering it to stop.

The group’s flyers bearing the distinctive logo were being distributed at an event held by Melbourne’s RMIT University journalism faculty last week, with the materials carrying partisan political messages.

Last month, the broadcaster’s managing director David Anderson told a senate hearing: “They (ABC Friends) can’t use it (ABC logo) for a political campaign.”

The ABC also said in a statement just after last month’s hearing: “Approval will not be granted for any use of ABC content or logos or any other intellectual property in political advertising or political messaging.”

Flyers with political messaging, and the ABC logo prominently displayed, can still be ordered online through the ABC Friends store.

One such flyer reads: “Every recent Coalition government has cut funding despite promising not to and/or denying that cuts exist.

“In 2018, the Liberal Party Federal Council voted 4 to 1 to privatise all of the ABC, except some regional services.

“Since May 2014 the ABC has lost $800 million in government funding.”

The Coalition government has been in power since 2013. Last month, the government announced an increase in funding to the ABC over the next three years – a boost that was warmly welcomed by Mr Anderson and ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose.

ABC managing director David Anderson appearing at Senate Estimates last month.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg raised the issue of the inappropriate use of the ABC logo at senate estimates last month, and said it was concerning that the group had ignored instructions to stop using the logo. “The ABC needs to ensure that their logo is not being used on any political advertising,” he said.

“Mr Anderson has gone out on a limb to protect the logo from being used in a partisan way and the obligation is on the ABC to defend its property.”

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson also wrote to Mr Anderson on Sunday and urged the ABC to “immediately commence injunctive proceedings against ABC Friends Victoria and other ABC Friends groups involved in this campaign of disinformation by reason of the misappropriation of the ABC’s brand, logo and other intellectual property”.

An ABC spokesman said they had informed ABC Friends of its inappropriate use of the logo and ordered it to stop.

“The ABC has contacted ABC Friends about the use of the ABC logo,” he said. “They have acknowledged our policy and will amend their use of the logo accordingly.”

ABC Friends has more than 50,000 members and the group’s national president, Margaret Reynolds, told The Australian that while it had changed its logo on its national group’s web page, it may remain on some state-based group’s websites.

She also said some merchandise with the logo that had political messaging had been unable to be completely removed from use or availability.

“Some merchandise may still be available on our website but new stock will soon be available, ready for when the election is called,” she said. “ABC Friends is nonpartisan but we are ‘political’ in advertising for strong, independent, public broadcasting.”

The group held an emergency meeting last month and agreed to remove the logo from its website.

Ms Reynolds wrote to members saying the group was “scrambling to make changes” after coming “under attack” at senate estimates.