In September 2015, it was announced that the digital radio station XFM would be rebranded to become “Radio X”. Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, Johnny Vaughan and Vernon Kay are just a few of the well known names hosting shows on the new Radio X. The owner of the station (Global Radio Limited) filed four trade mark applications to register RADIO X (in both word and logo form) with the UK Intellectual Property Office and European Community Trade Mark Office (OHIM) in August 2015. All four applications have now since been opposed by an independent third party radio station, Radio Exe Limited, on the grounds that it owns an earlier UK trade mark registration for RADIO EXE. The new RADIO X applications are alleged to conflict with RADIO EXE given the degree of similarity between the brand names and the identical radio broadcasting services that the trade marks each cover. If the trade mark oppositions are successful, Global may be forced to rebrand the name of their Radio X station yet again. This highlights the importance to all of conducting thorough due diligence by way of trade mark clearance searches to check for conflicting earlier rights before commencing use or registration of any new brand name.
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