Glee ordered to change name in UK
British court rules a breach of trademark by the FOX musical series.
- Published by David Knox
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Twentieth Century FOX will appeal a British High Court decision that ruled Glee will have to retitle its series in the UK.
A High Court judge ruled the title breached a trademark for comedy chain, “The Glee Club.”
In February Judge Roger Wyand said Comic Enterprises’ trademark was “suffering detriment” and there was a “likelihood of confusion”.
But he said Comic Enterprises had not established that Twentieth Century FOX had “passed off” Glee as being associated with Glee Club venues.
Lawyers for Glee argued a change the name of the show was disproportionate and would be costly and complex.
“I find it hard to believe that the cost of the re-titling and publicising of the new name would be so prohibitive compared to the value of the series,” judge Wyand said. “I was told many times during the course of the trial how this series is a ‘blockbuster’.”
He added: “I believe that the balance favours the granting of an injunction in this case.”
Twentieth Century FOX has been ordered to make an interim payment of £100,000 ($AU182,000) but the case will proceed to the Court of Appeal.
Source: Telegraph
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I think there’s a bit of Karma happening here…
Not too long ago, Britain’s BSkyB (Partly owned of course by 20th Century Fox) successfully sued Microsoft, forcing them to change the name of their cloud services from ‘Skydrive’ to ‘Onedrive’. Apparently we nerdy types might have been silly enough to think that a Microsoft backup service was something to do with a UK pay tv service.
They won that stoush. But now the shoe’s on the other foot they complain it would be costly and complex to change things? Not much sympathy from me!
Bit late now isn’t it?
That doesn’t seem fair at all.