YouView faces brand change

Just three months after its launch, YouView could be forced to change its name after it lost a High Court appeal brought by a Gloucestershire telecoms firm. The company provides computer database management. It said the case was brought because of the similarity of the company’s trademarks and the similarity between their goods and services.

YouView, whose backers include the BBC, ITV, TalkTalk, BT and Arqiva, runs a managed over-the-top service that enhances the DTT offering with catch-up TV. Although it launched in July it had originally been planned to go to market in 2010, before being held back by disputes over its marketing strategy and technology choices. Earlier this week TalkTalk, which launched its own YouView offer a month ago, said 27,000 units had already been deployed.

YouView says it has no intention of changing its name while it is waiting for the outcome of a number of other disputes.

(Broadband TV News)