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The owner of a pop-up restaurant has been told to change the name or face legal action.
The Underground Restaurant, which Kerstin Rodgers runs from her Kilburn flat, has been a magnet for foodies since it started the trend of dining out in people's homes and disused offices two years ago.
Lawyers for London Underground have told Ms Rodgers, who is also known as Ms Marmite Lover, that they are contesting the registration of The Underground Restaurant trademark. They say the title “could be detrimental to our client's brand”.
But Ms Rodgers today vowed not to cave into their “bullying”, adding: “They're talking rubbish. They can't possibly copyright the word underground because it's got more than one meaning. TfL are not exactly known in the food world so I can't see how it would be confusing.
“I'm not going to change it. London Underground should be working on getting the Tube to run better, that's my advice.”
A TfL spokesman said: “TfL's brands are iconic and valuable assets and we seek to protect them.”
Reader views (12)
Their lawyers have a job for life. Google Underground and you get 7,530,000 uk hits including one of a very salubrious nature. A worldwide search gives 92,900,000 hits. Even if half of thes realte to the TFL underground there's still a lot of others to check out.
- John, Bromley, 22/11/2010 19:26
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Is it not about time that the names of the people making these stupid comments should be revealed.
Cowardly bullies hiding behind lawyers.
- James, Braintree UK, 22/11/2010 19:21
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A TfL spokesman said: “TfL's brands are iconic and valuable assets and we seek to protect them.”
TfL`s brands????? A word out of the dictionary?
Don`t you just love how nuts our world is?
What is most diturbing though is that lawyers, supposedly intelligent and well educated, are on the case and presumably taking it seriously.
- Rowland, Kingston up the Thames, 22/11/2010 16:59
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Can TFL cite precedent when they successfully sued The Velvet Underground, or The Jam for their song Going Undergound.
- Ed, London, 22/11/2010 16:48
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Wow, I'd better watch out, in case Broadway come after me next for using "Annie"....
- Annie's Supperclub, A Secret Location in Bromley, Kent, 22/11/2010 16:32
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"The Underground Restaurant" - "London Underground"
Yes, I can see how that could be confusing. You sit down to a bowl of soup du jour and wonder what the next station is?!
Some bloody Lawyer after a Christmas bonus through public funds.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 22/11/2010 15:13
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Nice free advertising for Rodgers should promote her business nicely, TFL will lose of course.
- James, Grays, 22/11/2010 14:56
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Suggestion: change it to "The Kilburn Underground Restaurant". There are many other "xxx underground" things, so TfL would then be on a definite loser.
But could someone tell TfL to stop wasting our money on lawyers to hound this poor lady? They surely know that if she could afford to fight the case, she'd win. That's because she does food, TfL does transport, and no sane person could confuse the two.
- Nigel, London, 22/11/2010 14:54
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Will the Wombles need to change their theme tune? It starts "Underground, overground, wombling free" - there must be two TfL trademarks in there at least.
- Keith, King's Cross, 22/11/2010 13:25
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TfL. Is it okay to send you the dry cleaning bill for my coat which got covered in grease from the door of one of your filthy trains? Can supply photo evidence of said greasy door and nasty guard who told me 'tough mate what d'ya wan me to do abou-it??? Just spoke to a lawyer who said Yes do it, so watch this space.
Good luck to Ms Rodgers.
- MJ, East Anglia, 22/11/2010 12:23
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What a load of codswallop from TfL! I'm surprised they haven't pulled up The Wombles too. Mind you, the trains and stations might be a good deal cleaner if Uncle Bulgaria and co. were around.
- Jock, Glasgow, 22/11/2010 10:48
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I'm surprised Bob Crow hasn't threatened strike action if she refuses to change the name!
- Warren, Edmonton, 22/11/2010 10:38
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