Alan Sugar's YouView loses brand judgment in court

Lord Sugar's net-based TV service YouView lost a High Court appeal over the use of its brand name late last week.

The trademark scuffle with little-known telco Total Ltd, which is based in Gloucestershire, could yet force YouView to limit use of its brand.

The service, which is basically "iPlayer in hardware" is backed by some of the biggest players in the telly and ISP world with biz partners that include BT, TalkTalk, ITV and the BBC.

Honorable Mr Justice Floyd dismissed the appeal on 9 November on the grounds that YouView's trademark was far too similar to that of Total Ltd's "Yourview".

The telecoms outfit's MD Stuart Baikie said he was "delighted" with the judgment.

He added:

YourView is a key differentiator for us and is a significant part of our business and future growth strategy, so it was absolutely imperative that we defended the trade mark that was granted to us in 2009. Our opposition to the YouView trade mark has been now been fully vindicated.

The judge's ruling meant that an earlier decision from the Trade Mark Registry would stand.

But YouView, in an official statement, indicated that the judgment did not represent the end of the courtroom affair.

The company said:

YouView has no intention of changing its name. This matter is complex and subject to a number of on-going legal actions and will be settled in the courts.

The full judgment can be read here. ®