Caffeinated Clint
The American dramady we know as “Glee” may be set for a name change in Britain.
On Friday, Britain’s High Court declared that the name of the show breaches the trademark of The Glee Club comedy chain, reports the Associated Press.
In 2011, Mark Tughan, who owns Comic Enterprises which owns four Glee Clubs in the UK, filed a lawsuit against Fox. Tughan claimed that the name of the show breached his trademark leaving the public confused, assuming his venues are related to the show.
Now the Associated Press reports that Judge Roger Wyland ruled in favour of Tughan’s Comic Enterprises, ordering Fox to rename the show in the UK to avoid confusion between the two brands.
Comic Enterprises is also seeking damages. While the final payment has not yet been determined, Wyland ordered Fox to pay an interim of $170,000.
“I find it hard to believe that the cost of the re-titling and publicizing of the new name would be so prohibitive compared to the value of the series,” said Wyland. “I was told many times during the course of the trial how this series is a ‘blockbuster.’”
Fox plans to appeal the ruling.
The company said in a statement: “We are pleased that the trial judge agreed to let the Appeal Court rule before ordering any relief that would adversely affect fans’ enjoyment of Glee in the U.K. We look forward to the next stage of this case and remain confident in the merits of our argument.”
