Rupert Murdoch Suing The Sky Out Of Skype

from the good-luck-with-that dept

Wed, Aug 11th 2010 1:12pm — Mike Masnick

With Skype announcing a planned IPO this week, there didn't seem to be that much to comment on. However, people digging through the filing found one previously unknown tidbit that's generating some buzz. Apparently, the Rupert Murdoch-owned satellite broadcasting company BskyB has been involved in a long legal battle with Skype over its name. Apparently, BSkyB thinks anything using the letters "sky" infringes on its trademark. Of course, it's difficult to see how anyone could possibly be confused, but BSkyB claims to have market research that says otherwise, and apparently an EU ruling has agreed -- though Skype is planning to appeal.

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Filed Under: bskyb, skype, trademark

31 Comments

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Killer_Tofu (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 12:55pm

Never heard of BSkyB Before -eom
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Berenerd (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:44pm

BskyB who?
So are they gonna sue Sky.com? Sky and Telescope magazine? Sky.FM? Sky News? The Chicago Sky (WNBA)? I mean come on people. get a life!
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- Lee, 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:46pm
  
  Re: BskyB who?
  They're unlikely to sue sky.com: they ARE sky.com.
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  - Dark Helmet (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:48pm
    
    Re: Re: BskyB who?
    I believe they're Sky News as well....
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    - Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2010 @ 5:09am
      
      Re: Re: Re: BskyB who?
      But will that really stop them from suing themselves?
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- bishboria (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:48pm
  
  Re: BskyB who?
  They also own Sky News :)
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lavi d (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:46pm

Skyy
Gonna havta change vodkas, I guess.
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- Dark Helmet (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:59pm
  
  Re: Skyy
  Meh, be a man and switch to Irish whiskey...
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  - cc (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 2:25pm
    
    Re: Re: Skyy
    Real men drink pure ethanol!
    
    But, real real men drink ethernet.
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    - Dark Helmet (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 2:26pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Skyy
      "But, real real men drink ethernet."
      
      I have too much fiber in my diet for ethernet....
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  - Marcel de Jong (profile), 12 Aug 2010 @ 1:54am
    
    Re: Re: Skyy
    Don't you mean Whisky?
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    - Dark Helmet (profile), 12 Aug 2010 @ 5:48am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Skyy
      Dammit, can't believe I just did that....
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kilroy, 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:47pm

and don't forget ....
all those books, songs & poems that use the word sky. Some lawyer somewhere is going to get very rich !
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ZX, 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:52pm

BSkyB
News Corp. only own 38% of BSkyB, not even a majority, rendering the title incorrect.

@Berenerd British Sky Broadcasting "BSkyB" trades as Sky. It owns Sky.com and Sky News. It sells TV, Internet and Phone in the UK and has an all lower-case logo (a bit like skype).
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Josh in CharlotteNC (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 1:59pm

Pe?
So when Skype loses, they have to change their name to.. Pe?

I almost want Murdoch to win this one.
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Aug 2010 @ 2:59pm
  
  Re: Pe?
  I always liked iTalkIP.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2010 @ 5:10am
    
    Re: Re: Pe?
    They should raise their middle fingers and change the name to Murtalk.
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- eas_inside, 12 Sep 2013 @ 6:58pm
  
  Re: Pe?
  just one more 'e' in the end, then voila! You know what I mean.
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RobShaver (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 2:11pm

advertising.com
Didn't you just cover a similar story about advertising.com loosing just such a clam?
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- IronM@sk, 11 Aug 2010 @ 3:25pm
  
  Re: advertising.com
  Loose? Perhaps they should have had tighter control.
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CommonSense (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 2:11pm

I feel like the faster Rupert Murdoch.........moves on to a better place, to put it nicely......the better off the world will be. I wonder if there's a special ring in hell for greedy a$$holes that abuse their power like this.
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- Killer_Tofu (profile), 12 Aug 2010 @ 6:53am
  
  Re:
  If so that means I certainly won't be seeing any politicians down there. Such a wonderful thought; I hope its true.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Aug 2010 @ 2:13pm

skynet cant come too soon with all this foolishness...
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drew (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 2:18pm

too slow!
I was just about to mail you this one across.
bloody ridiculous from murdoch again
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Aug 2010 @ 4:02pm

How the hell did Skype lose that muppet of a case? Anyone with half a brain can see they are not the same.
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Vincent Clement, 11 Aug 2010 @ 4:52pm

Is there a full moon out? One company is filing a trademark infringement lawsuit for an infringement that has yet to happen. And now you have Murdoch suing a company because it has the word 'sky' in it's name.
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Stever, 11 Aug 2010 @ 5:26pm

SkyDrive
Will Microsoft be suied over their use of the term skydrive with Office 2010. I bet not as Microsoft are a little large for that. Is this a case of just bullying by someone more powerful. Dont look up the s_y is falling.
Please!
If it were BSkype or even SkypeB you would think that justified. However it isnt.
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 11 Aug 2010 @ 6:07pm

Maybe The BBC Should Sue BSkyB
The company name has the same number of Bs in it, which clearly makes it confusingly similar.
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Greg, 11 Aug 2010 @ 6:48pm

This just in
In a crazy turn of events, the makers of KY Jelly are suing Newscorp for the use of their "ky" in their sky brand. They have further justified this claim by exhibiting key survey respondents who couldn't differentiate the two companies when asked which one provides a stimulating entertainment experience.
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Marcel de Jong (profile), 12 Aug 2010 @ 1:53am

What is this blue thing up in the air? Let's sue nature too, Sky...

Next, sue all those people that claim that the Sky is falling, as that's clearly slander!

GFY, Murdoch, and crawl back under your bridge.
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Dave, 12 Aug 2010 @ 12:31pm

Spam
Hmm. Seems we have the smell of spam wafting in from the sewers!
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