Post by indikit on Jul 23, 2007 22:19:01 GMT
This from a report in the Derbyshire Evening Telegraph, proving that if the BBC are good at one thing, it's bullying and threatening others with the use of lies, lies and more lies.
I'm no lawyer but I don't believe for one second the BBC can trademark 'Strictly' anything. Can anyone find any legal substance in this whatsoever?
STRICTLY POLEAXED AFTER BBC THREAT ON FIRM NAME
BY JENNI KINSEY
NEWSDESK@DERBYTELEGRAPH.CO.UK
I'm no lawyer but I don't believe for one second the BBC can trademark 'Strictly' anything. Can anyone find any legal substance in this whatsoever?
STRICTLY POLEAXED AFTER BBC THREAT ON FIRM NAME
BY JENNI KINSEY
NEWSDESK@DERBYTELEGRAPH.CO.UK
09:30 - 21 July 2007
A Pole dancer has been forced to change the name of her company after the BBC threatened to sue her.
Lawyers at the corporation were worried that Genevieve Moody's dance classes, Strictly Pole Dancing, could be confused with the Saturday night show Strictly Come Dancing.
She was ordered to change the name and remove it from all promotional material, or face legal action.
Miss Moody, 30, said: "I received a letter about a month ago from the BBC, telling me I needed to change the name of the business.
"They said they had trade-marked the word 'strictly' and they were worried people would think my business was connected to the TV show.
"As a professional dancer, I'm a member of Equity, so I used their trademark lawyers to see if it was worth fighting.
"They said I only had a 50 per cent chance of winning, so I decided not to go ahead."
Miss Moody said the incident had been extremely stressful.
"I'm really deflated by the whole thing.
"They're a huge corporation and I'm just a sole trader.
"I don't know why they're coming after me.
"Choosing the name 'strictly' had nothing to do with the programme.
"I wanted to make clear this was strictly a pole dancing class, and separate what I'm doing from the erotic industry."
Miss Moody has now changed the name to The Flying Studio.
"I've had to change absolutely everything," she said.
"All my promotional things had to be reprinted, from shorts and T-shirts to flyers.
"I had also designed a website myself, which had to be changed.
"This has cost me almost £2,000, but it's nothing compared to the stress it has caused."
Despite Miss Moody having to change the branding on the website, its address remains www.strictlypoledancing.co.uk .
Miss Moody, who lives in Burton, has been dancing for six years and teaching for five.
Until the letter arrived a month ago, there had been no trouble with the BBC.
The mum-of-one had even been featured on BBC Radio Leicester's website.
"When I opened my first studio in Leicester, I was interviewed for their website and my classes have been advertised on the radio."
A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "I can confirm we sent a letter to Genevieve Moody regarding this issue.
"The Strictly Come Dancing show has generated a lot of goodwill and the BBC has to be vigilant about people trying to trade off that.
"The 'strictly' brand is recognised by most people as belonging to the BBC."
Under the new name, Miss Moody's business is expanding to include a new studio in Derby.
She hopes that the Flying Studio name, so-called because of the aerial moves the dancers perform, will become well-known.
It will be based at Middle Mill, in Darley Abbey, and is due to open in mid-August.
A Pole dancer has been forced to change the name of her company after the BBC threatened to sue her.
Lawyers at the corporation were worried that Genevieve Moody's dance classes, Strictly Pole Dancing, could be confused with the Saturday night show Strictly Come Dancing.
She was ordered to change the name and remove it from all promotional material, or face legal action.
Miss Moody, 30, said: "I received a letter about a month ago from the BBC, telling me I needed to change the name of the business.
"They said they had trade-marked the word 'strictly' and they were worried people would think my business was connected to the TV show.
"As a professional dancer, I'm a member of Equity, so I used their trademark lawyers to see if it was worth fighting.
"They said I only had a 50 per cent chance of winning, so I decided not to go ahead."
Miss Moody said the incident had been extremely stressful.
"I'm really deflated by the whole thing.
"They're a huge corporation and I'm just a sole trader.
"I don't know why they're coming after me.
"Choosing the name 'strictly' had nothing to do with the programme.
"I wanted to make clear this was strictly a pole dancing class, and separate what I'm doing from the erotic industry."
Miss Moody has now changed the name to The Flying Studio.
"I've had to change absolutely everything," she said.
"All my promotional things had to be reprinted, from shorts and T-shirts to flyers.
"I had also designed a website myself, which had to be changed.
"This has cost me almost £2,000, but it's nothing compared to the stress it has caused."
Despite Miss Moody having to change the branding on the website, its address remains www.strictlypoledancing.co.uk .
Miss Moody, who lives in Burton, has been dancing for six years and teaching for five.
Until the letter arrived a month ago, there had been no trouble with the BBC.
The mum-of-one had even been featured on BBC Radio Leicester's website.
"When I opened my first studio in Leicester, I was interviewed for their website and my classes have been advertised on the radio."
A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "I can confirm we sent a letter to Genevieve Moody regarding this issue.
"The Strictly Come Dancing show has generated a lot of goodwill and the BBC has to be vigilant about people trying to trade off that.
"The 'strictly' brand is recognised by most people as belonging to the BBC."
Under the new name, Miss Moody's business is expanding to include a new studio in Derby.
She hopes that the Flying Studio name, so-called because of the aerial moves the dancers perform, will become well-known.
It will be based at Middle Mill, in Darley Abbey, and is due to open in mid-August.
