YouView has lost a High Court trademark ruling, prompting concerns that it could be forced to change its name.
The company had sought to register the YouView name as a trademark but the High Court today ruled in favour business telecoms company Total and its YOUR VIEW service.
The ruling, reported by Brand Republic, means Total could ask YouView to change its name or even sue the company for trademark infringement. YouView is adamant that this won't be the case.
A spokeswoman for YouView 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."
Despite YouView limiting its appeal on this trademark ruling – which first began back in 2010 – to "apparatus for TV and radio reception, and software for embedding in apparatus for TV and radio reception", it was still dismissed.
Brand Republic reports a legal expert commenting that despite this ruling, it was by no means a given that Total would win were it to sue YouView for trademark infringement.
YouView is the internet TV service backed by the likes of the BBC, ITV, BT, TalkTalk and indeed Lord Sugar, and is designed to bring free catch-up and on-demand streaming services – BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 – and digital TV under one easily accessible roof.
YouView launched with the Humax DTR-1000 box and has since joined forces with BT and its BT Vision service.
