GLASTONBURY IN TM DISPUTE

The BBC reports that Michael Eavis, who runs the Glastonbury Festival, has angered local residents by seeking a CTM for inter alia GLASTONBURY for goods and services including DVDs, computer games, clothing, promotional material, TV radio and internet rights. Local businesses are afraid that they will no longer be able to use the term themselves.

Right: take a look at this advertisement: guess which bit is the trade mark and then check your answer here against the UK Trade Mark Registry files

The IPKat points out that the right will be limited to the goods or services applied for and there is a defence for geographical descriptiveness. He can see though why local traders may not want to have to rely on a defence.