Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Business

Microsoft in trademark row with UK children’s reading firm Word Windows

US tech titan Microsoft is locked in a trademark dispute with a woman in Northampton after she named her business Word Windows.

Kate McKenzie’s company sells handheld tools designed to help children with reading.

But on 1 July, nine days before the product was due to be launched, she received a letter from lawyers representing Microsoft opposing her trademark.

“They weren’t happy about the trademark and they weren’t happy about the company name,” McKenzie told the BBC.

“I’ve been in negotiations with Microsoft to try and resolve the situation and demonstrate that I’m not trying to infringe on their product or services. I’m just trying to develop literacy levels in the UK,” she added.

Microsoft said it “cannot comment on ongoing legal matters”.

John Coldham, an intellectual property lawyer at Gowling WLG, said that firms can use words that are purely descriptive of what a firm does as long as they do not “piggy back” on a brand or cause confusion.

“The trouble for Ms McKenzie is that she is using it as a brand – she applied for a trademark for it, and what Microsoft is saying is that she shouldn’t be allowed a trademark so similar to theirs. We will have to see if she can argue that it is not likely to cause any confusion or be seen as piggy backing off Microsoft’s brands,” Coldham said.

Read more:
Microsoft in trademark row with UK children’s reading firm Word Windows

Advertisement

    You May Also Like

    Investing

    RevisingTheBankSecrecyAct_NorbertMichelAndJenniferSchulp_CMFAWP007   The post Revising the Bank Secrecy Act to Protect Privacy and Deter Criminals (CMFA Working Paper No.007) appeared first on Alt-M.

    Investing

    Recently, an investment advisor and Bitcoin proponent tweeted the claim that “[f]or most of human history” the “[s]eparation of money and state was the...

    Business

    Rollee enables worker’s to share their professional data, spread over one or more financial platforms. Ali Hamriti, CEO and Co-Founder of Rollee, is on...

    Business

    The energy crisis means that as the price of wholesale commercial energy hits an unprecedented high, businesses must pay notably more for their energy...

    Disclaimer: successfuldealnow.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 successfuldealnow.com | All Rights Reserved