YouView, the internet TV service owned by Lord Sugar, has lost a High Court appeal over the use of its brand name.
The company’s trademark was found to be “confusingly similar” to Gloucestershire-based telecommunications company Total Ltd’s “Your View” trademark.
YouView launched in July and is co-funded by the BBC, TalkTalk, BT, Channel 4 and other broadcasters including Five and ITV. It is an internet-enabled service touted as the future of television and has been under development since 2010. It may now face an infringement action in the High Court, which could include an injunction limiting YouView’s use of the brand.
The service offers a pay-per-view plan aimed to rival companies such as Sky and Virgin Media where users must subscribe to the service.
A YouView spokesperson 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.”
Considering a career in patents? Check out the Graduate Patent Attorney Careers page for more information and the latest graduate jobs.
