Internet battle making waves at cup website

By KARYN SCHERER

A stoush has erupted over who has the rights to internet coverage of the America's Cup racing and its precursor, the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series.

Boston-based TWI Interactive is believed to be threatening legal action against San Francisco-based Quokka Sports in a row which organisers have been predicting for months.

TWI Interactive, a member of one of the world's largest sports management organisations, IMG Group, struck an early deal to manage the official website for the Louis Vuitton series.

It is understood TWI is claiming that Quokka, which manages the official America's Cup website, is using audio and photographic stills on its site in breach of the television broadcast rights that have been granted to various broadcasters around the world.

Top-level talks have been held in the United States over the issue but have not been fully resolved.

The row has been brewing since the end of last year when the two companies failed to agree on setting up a single website.

Local software developers, who have been working with TWI Interactive, were hoping the company would also win the contract to do the America's Cup site but Telecom, which is a major America's Cup sponsor, decided to award it to Quokka.

Quokka's co-founder and vice chairman is John Bertrand, who represented Australia in five America's Cup challenges. The company, which listed on the Nasdaq exchange in August, has previously covered the Whitbread and Around Alone yacht races and also has the rights to internet coverage of the Sydney Olympics.

Quokka executives in San Francisco were reluctant to comment on the dispute yesterday.

Through Telecom spokesman Glen Sowry, a local Quokka spokeswoman would only confirm that "numerous discussions" were taking place. Mr Sowry said the company did not want to comment further until the issue was resolved.

The president of the America's Cup Challenger Association, Dyer Jones, described the spat as frustrating.

"Quite frankly, those of us who are here at the [cup] site are trying to accommodate the needs of both parties without stepping on each other's toes. The executive production decisions are not made here and neither are their respective lawyers."

Mr Jones said organisers were disappointed a single website could not be agreed from the beginning. In future, contracts would have to be drawn up more carefully or parties would have to learn to respect each other's rights.

* The official Louis Vuitton site is www.louisvuittoncup.com. The America's Cup site is www.americascup.org.