Microsoft to rebrand SkyDrive after losing trademark skirmish

[Brink]

Microsoft is going to rebrand its cloud storage service, following a settlement with British Sky Broadcasting Group over rights to the 'Sky' name.

As reported on July 31 by The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft has decided not to appeal its recent loss and is going to rebrand SkyDrive instead of fight for the name.

A joint press release by Microsoft and British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) explained the decision. From that release:

"According to the settlement, Microsoft will not pursue its planned appeal of this decision and Sky will allow Microsoft to continue using the SkyDrive name for a reasonable period of time to allow for an orderly transition to a new brand. The agreement also contains financial and other terms, the details of which are confidential."

Microsoft officials are not saying when they plan to rebrand SkyDrive or what the new name for the service will be.

Update: I guess this means SkyDrive Pro also will be getting a new name, too.

Read more at: Microsoft to rebrand SkyDrive after losing trademark skirmish | ZDNet

 

[Layback Bear]

I really don't understand why Microsoft doesn't look into trademarks before they just name something. I would think that would be cheaper.
Has Microsoft ever won a court case in the E.U.?

 

[richnrockville]

I bet that some lawyer at Microsoft caught holy hell for that one slipping thru the cracks.

Rich

 

[jimbo45]

I really don't understand why Microsoft doesn't look into trademarks before they just name something. I would think that would be cheaper.
Has Microsoft ever won a court case in the E.U.?

Hi there
Has ANYBODY ever won a Court case in the EU commission -- unless it's some "dubious Human rights" type legislation about treatment or sentencing of convicted criminals or dangerous terrorists appealing against deportation.

Sorry for the Politics -- but I'm sure wherever you are from it must make your blood boil when you can't remove people from your country due to protection of the EU Court of Human rights especially when these people preach nothing but hatred for all your country's traditions and laws while still claiming huge amounts of Social security and managing to evade deportation for YEARS.

I'm sure if I was in a small town in Texas and started ranting on about how bad the USA was I'm sure the citizens of that well known State would find very quick ways of ensuring I would be silenced very quickly !!!.

(Actually I ENJOY my visits to the USA most times - and any issues with the Laws are up to the VOTERS in the USA to sort out and not for the non citizens).

Anyway enough of the Politics -- it just got my blood up when I saw EU commission and Court mentioned in the thread. We've HURRAH !!!! withdrawn our application for membership of the EU -- still in the EEA which is just fine by me.

http://euobserver.com/political/120501

BTW it's actually not certain that even SKY has got the trade mark either -- what a dog's dinner of a mess --and the only winners -- You've guessed it --- a load of Corporate Lawyers. !!!

Cheers
jimbo

 

[lehnerus2000]

Effectively US vs US

I really don't understand why Microsoft doesn't look into trademarks before they just name something. I would think that would be cheaper.
Has Microsoft ever won a court case in the E.U.?

Hi there
Has ANYBODY ever won a Court case in the EU commission -- unless it's some "dubious Human rights" type legislation about treatment or sentencing of convicted criminals or dangerous terrorists appealing against deportation.

Doesn't the Murdoch family own Sky UK and Fox News (as well as a lot of the UK & US print and broadcast media)?

He owns most of the print media (newspapers) in Australia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_murdoch

 

[Wrend]

Wait, so is it BSkyB (or similar) vs. SkyDrive? That seems like a pretty flimsy trademark argument to me. I don't think someone would confuse the two, just because they have the common word "sky" in their names.

 

[Indianatone]

Wait, so is it BSkyB (or similar) vs. SkyDrive? That seems like a pretty flimsy trademark argument to me. I don't think someone would confuse the two, just because they have the common word "sky" in their names.

Sky have a broadband service in the UK and a Sat TV service with a DVR. No doubt you could record the programmes on Sky to the Sky Drive in the DVR. That seems more of a trademark clash.

 

[z3r010]

Sky Sports
Sky Movies
Sky Broadband
Sky Fibre
Sky News
Sky Plus
Sky Box Office
Sky Box
Sky HD

All the above are very common parts of the BSkyB brand in the UK, Sky Drive really does sound like it should be in the above list.

I'm pretty sure Sky are also major broadcasters in Italy, Germany, Australia and New Zealand so it could be quite a global thing.

 

[boohbah]

well i signed up with sky broadcasting because i thought i needed a satellite dish to access my skydrive, now i wont be able to.
thanks

 

[Wrend]

OK, fair enough, guys.

Using the words "cloud," "sky," and so on for these internet server storage mediums seems kind of silly to me anyway.

I have several TBs worth of my own internet "cloud" storage for my mobile devices on my home PC (for no additional cost, should I want it), so I don't know what the fuss is about.

 

[SIW2]

He is also interested in history, allegedly.


Rupert Murdoch Emerges as Winning Bidder for Richard III's Bones : The New Yorker

Doesn't the Murdoch family own Sky UK and Fox News (as well as a lot of the UK & US print and broadcast media)?

He owns most of the print media (newspapers) in Australia.

Rupert Murdoch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia