Bettys protest could take biscuit

A TRADEMARK specialist has cast doubt over whether Bettys will be successful in its bid to stop another Yorkshire business using a similar name for one of its products.

Bettys has contacted the UK Intellectual Property Office to highlight what it believes is confusion between its name and Fat Betty cheesy nibbles, which are available through the Taste of Yorkshire label.

The Fat Betty biscuits are the brainchild of Jonathan Kidd and are supplied to farm shops and delicatessens, including Weetons in Harrogate.

Mr Kidd said he was annoyed that Bettys was trying to take action more than two years after the trademark was registered, while Bettys said it felt the need to protect its name, despite Mr Kidd’s claims that there had been no confusion between the two brands to date.

Richard Taylor, a partner in the technology, media and commercial department at DLA Piper in Sheffield, said he believed Bettys’ case could be weakened because the family business had not objected to the Fat Betty name when Mr Kidd was registering it as a trademark.

Mr Taylor said: “A decision is also going to be based on whether there’s a likelihood of confusion between Bettys and Fat Betty.”

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close