The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Perth barber ‘counts his losses’ in Peaky Blinders wrangle
TRADEMARK: Will Robertson had been threatened with legal action by makers of TV show
A Perth barber threatened with legal action after trying to rebrand as the Peaky Blinders said he has given in to demands from TV bosses.
Will Robertson wanted to change the name of his South Street barber shop from Sweeney Todd but was threatened with legal action by the makers of the hit BBC show.
Chiever Brand Protection, working on behalf of production company Caryn Mandabach, claimed he was trying to “free-ride” on the reputation of the TV show under the English law of ‘passing off’.
As well as the name-change, Will had ordered 20,000 Peaky Blindersbranded hair gel tubs, which he will now have to repackage.
The TV show is based on a gang which terrorised the English West Midlands over two decades in the late 19th and early 20th century.
It has spawned a youth sub-culture who wear flat-caps and high-fade hairstyles similar to central character Tommy Shelby, played by Irish actor Cillian Murphy.
Caryn Mandabach claimed that trademarking the name for use as a barber shop would “mislead the public” into thinking the shop was associated with the show.
Will, who filed his claim in December, has now withdrawn his application amid fears he could lose everything if he pursued the trademark.
Will said: “I don’t think it is worth it, to be honest. It would have been good to get the name change, but it is what it is.
“They are a big company and it was always going to be difficult.
“I have had to remove all the associations to the Peaky Blinders characters. I’ll just count my losses. I’ll need to relabel the hair gel I ordered but that shouldn’t cost much more than a few hundred pounds.
“I guess if I had stuck to my guns we may have come to some sort of an agreement, but it is done now.”
Chiever BV, who filed a trademark claim at the start of last month, are awaiting a final decision from the UK Government’s Intellectual Property Office.
IguessifI had stuck tomyguns we may have come to some sort of an agreement, but it is done now. WILL ROBERTSON