Rupert Murdoch fights to take the 'sky' out of 'Skype'
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BSkyB is trying to prevent Skype, the internet phone company, from continuing to use its name because the first three letters spell "sky".
It emerged on Tuesday that BSkyB has been ensconced in a legal battle with Skype for more than five years.
But the legal action over the "Skype" trademark only became public when Skype mentioned it in its 250-page initial public offering (IPO) document on Monday.
A spokesman for Sky, which is 39.1pc-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, said the company was trying to prevent Skype from using its trademark in relation to the sale of TV or internet service, because customer might assume that 'Skype' is part of Sky.
"Sky is involved in a long-running dispute with Skype in relation to several trade mark applications filed by Skype, including, but not limited to, television-related goods and services," the spokesman said. "The key contention in the dispute is that the brands 'Sky' and 'Skype' will be considered confusingly similar by members of the public."
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