As BWW reported back in July, a UK judge had ordered 20th Century FOX to change the name of its musical dramedy series GLEE in Britain, due to the fact that it breaches the trademark of a chain of British comedy clubs owned by Comic Enterprises called 'The GLEE Club.' The Court heard the argument that people had mistakenly believed that Comic Enterprises' venues were related to the television show and that in some cases, this had deterred those people from visiting the venues.
In February, Judge Roger Wyand handed down a ruling in favor of Comic Enterprises, decreeing that there was a "likelihood of confusion" between the two brands.
FOX had argued that changing the show's title would be unnecessary, unfair and disproportionate.
"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 the Judge in July. "I was told many times during the course of the trial how this series is a 'blockbuster.'"
In a follow-up decision released this week, the Judge has now ordered that FOX "cease naming" the show GLEE in the UK. FOX is allowed to appeal to the Court of Appeal however, if the High Court's decision is upheld, they will have no choice but to change the name of their show when it airs the sixth and final season in the UK in 2015.
About GLEE:
Glee is a musical comedy about a group of ambitious and talented kids who escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a
GLEE club, where they find strength, acceptance and, ultimately, their voice. Last year's graduates and aspiring singers, RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michelle) and KURT HUMMEL (Chris Colfer), packed their bags for New York and enrolled at a prestigious performing arts school, NYADA, where they made new friends and learned the cruel realities of college. These naïve freshmen moved into a Brooklyn loft, signed up for internships, auditioned for Broadway shows and gained a roommate when SANTANA LOPEZ (Naya Rivera) moved to the Big Apple.
Since its debut,
GLEE has become a bona fide cultural phenomenon, received prestigious honors, including a Golden Globe Award and a Peabody Award, and singlehandedly made
GLEE clubs cool again. The series boasts critical acclaim, a die-hard fan base, two Grammy Award nominations, two platinum and five gold albums, more than 43 million songs and more than 13 million albums sold worldwide, two sold-out concert tours, a 3-D movie and four Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes, including the award for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical.
Source: Lexology.com
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