Middle-earth Enterprises, owner of worldwide intellectual property rights to the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, has demanded that a waste removal company trading by “Lord of the Bins” cease infringing its trade marks.
Lord of the Bins is a business based in Brighton and run by two men, who also trade under the slogan “ONE RING TO REMOVE IT ALL”. The request came in the form of a cease and desist letter form the legal representative of Middle-earth Enterprises and the owners of the waste company have reportedly complained they now face the prospect of rebranding at the cost of thousands of pounds. However, they have also made it clear that they do not intend to fight against a multi-billion pound company.
Trade marks can be infringed by the commercial use of an identical or similar mark – the marks do not need to be identical.
If you have any questions on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the team at McDaniels Law on 0191 281 4000 or legal@mcdanielslaw.com.
in: Civil Procedure, Legal News, News, Trade Marks
