Microsoft to rename Skydrive following legal battle with BSkyB

[Scubbie]

Microsoft to rename Skydrive following legal battle with BSkyB - Telegraph

Microsoft will be forced to change the name of its SkyDrive cloud storage service, after a High Court ruling in June found that the name was infringing on BSkyB’s copyright.

The companies noted in a joint statement that Microsoft will not appeal the court ruling and that BSkyB will allow Microsoft to continue using the brand "for a reasonable period of time to allow for an orderly transition to a new brand."

“We will remain vigilant in protecting the Sky brand and will continue to take appropriate action against those companies who seek to use our trade mark without consent,” said Sky.

A statement from Microsoft added: “We're glad to have resolution of this naming dispute, and will continue to deliver the great service our hundreds of millions of customers expect, providing the best way to always have your files with you.”

Although BSkyB discontinued its own cloud storage service – Store & Share – at the end of 2011, it had argued that Microsoft's use of the word “Sky” in its brand was confusing to consumers.

In her ruling, Mrs Justice Asplin noted seventeen recorded incidents of Sky customers having problems with Microsoft's product and calling the broadcaster's helpline in the mistaken belief that it was responsible for the service.

"I consider that each of the individuals who contacted the Sky helpline can be viewed as spontaneous real life examples of confusion," she said.

"I also take the view that although they were not numerous, there were enough examples to give rise to the conclusion that confusion is sufficiently likely to warrant the court's intervention."

This is not the first time that Microsoft has had to change the name of one of its products over a trademark dispute. In August 2012, one of Microsoft's retail partners, German company Metro AG, reportedly threatened legal action against the software giant for infringing on the "Metro" trademark.

Metro was the name used internally by Microsoft's developers to describe the more touchscreen-friendly Windows 8 user interface, which organises information into 'hubs'. The company now describes this as its "Windows 8-style UI".

[chrcol]

yeah I did wonder myself how they were able to use the name, I guess sky did notice then.

[Isitme]

I am actually a bit surprised the complaint was upheld. Mcrosoft were refused the sole rights to Windows as it was considered too common a word. Well there is nothing much more common than Sky, is there?

[Scubbie]

I wonder what the chances are of a Scottish or Irish family being able to start up a fast food restuarant without being sued by a certain well known American firm if they wanted to use their family name for the business?

[lettice]

If you are interested in the full court hearing of sky v Microsoft, its all here, a long but interesting read
British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc & Ors v Microsoft Corporation Microsoft & Anor [2013] EWHC 1826 (Ch) (28 June 2013)

It was the use of the word Metro that Microsoft previously fell foul of, not Windows.
As you may have noticed on all Microsoft products, Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

The McDonalds patent I laughed at a few years back was they have the patent for how to make a sandwich.

[lincoln]

this makes lawyers rich but nobody else cares about this pointless corporate drivel ,the world will keep turning ,bring on the zombie apocalypse

[Scubbie]

Didn't the BBC copyright the use of the word 'Windows'?