Twiggy loses trademark battle against Lord Sugar-backed pet accessory firm, Twiggy Tags
Twiggy has lost a legal battle to stop a pet accessory business registering a trademark similar to the legendary model’s name, after Lord Sugar’s firm Trade Mark Wizards stepped in.
Dame Lesley Dawson DBE, better known as Twiggy, tried to stop a company that designs leads and harnesses for dogs from registering the trademark Twiggy Tags, claiming she owned the sole rights to the name.
But in a case before the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the 73-year-old model, actress and singer had her claim thrown out and Twiggy Tags was allowed to register their name.
Lord Sugar’s company Trade Mark Wizards helped Twiggy Tags, who have only one employee, build their defence in the case.
The star of The Apprentice said: “Legendary status doesn’t give you automatic trademark rights. Our client in no way infringed Twiggy’s trademarks and I’m delighted we were able to successfully defend Twiggy Tags in this important case.”
The 60s icon is also said to have surrendered all four of her registered trademarks, which had not been used recently.
According to Oliver Oguz, managing director of Trade Mark Wizards, Twiggy Tags intends to request cost awards from the IPO.
Lois Saunders, owner of Twiggy Tags, said she was “absolutely delighted” with the victory. “At least it’s all sorted now and I can focus on growing my business. My eternal thanks go to the Trade Mark Wizards team.”
The trademark attorneys have landed a slew of high-profile wins in recent years, seeing off Pinterest, MasterChef, Sandals Resorts and Giorgio Armani in brand disputes.