Blighty’s Corrie Fan Newsletter has been advised that the word “Corrie” is a registered trademark in Canada owned by Ontario businessman Mr Billy Black.
Mr Black told Blighty’s Corrie Fan Newsletter:
“The word Corrie is a registered trade mark to me William Black. Using the same word anywhere in Canada without permission is illegal. It is not my intention to stop Corrie fans from using the word, that would be impossible. It is my intention to stop manufacturers from using the word on merchandise for their profit.”
We checked out Mr Black’s claim with the Government of Canada’s Intellectual Property Office and, indeed, his claim is accurate. Here are the registration details:
Billy Black's Corrie Trademark
Our View
Trademarks are usually used to protect proprietary intellectual property. A good example is the Nike “swoosh”. Nike invested a lot of money in developing their characteristic “swoosh”; it is a symbol uniquely associated with their quality products.
The word “Corrie” on the other hand, was not originated by Mr Black. It is in fact a derivative of “Coronation Street” (which is itself a Canadian trademark owned by ITV Productions). The word “Corrie” has been in widespread use throughout Canada and the rest of the world for many years. Mr Black did not invent the word “Corrie” and furthermore, unlike the Nike “swoosh”, it does not uniquely represent his business.
Mr Black has done nothing illegal. He does have a legitimate and legal claim to protect the use of the word “Corrie” in Canada. But is his claim ethical? In effect, Mr Black has hijacked a word that is in common everyday use throughout the world for his own profit. His total investment in the word “Corrie” is the $450 that he spent to register it as a trademark.
Even Non-Commercial Use is Illegal
If you publish a Canadian blog or fan website – even a non-commercial site – using the word “Corrie” in your site without permission is now illegal. Presumably, it is even illegal for ITV or the CBC to use the word “Corrie” in Canada without Mr Black’s permission and they have each invested millions of dollars in Coronation Street.
Fan Gifts
Mr Black owns a northern Ontario business called Soccer Elite and Sports Gifts. His business sells products through independent retail outlets and at events such as the British Isles Show in Toronto. Its products include fan merchandise such as gifts for Beatles fans and major English and Scottish soccer teams. The word “Beatles” is trademarked in Canada by Apple Corps Limited of London, England. Major UK soccer teams have also registered their names as a trademark in Canada. We are not aware whether permission has been obtained to use those trademarks in Canada.
What do Canada’s Corrie Fans Think?
How do you feel about this? We at Blighty’s Corrie Fan Newsletter feel very disappointed that the trademark process has been manipulated for the financial benefit of one individual. Please tell us how you feel about it using the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of this page.
Obligatory Legal Statement
The name Corrie is a trade mark owned by Billy Black. [ sports-gifts.ca] and is used here with his permission.
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A disappointment indeed. The “wares” listed are all items that fans would purchase at such events as the British Isles Show, and especially those in the item (1) have nothing to do with the sports theme of his actual business. I am making a conscious effort to remind myself to NOT purchase anything from Mr. Black’s place of business and especially from Mr. Black’s vendor stall at the British Isles Show. I would appreciate if Blighty’s could keep us posted on whether or not Mr. Black uses his business name of “Soccer Elite and Sports Gifts” or some other name at the BIS. I want to make sure I don’t contribute to his profits.
Thanks
Is he still in business? The website address doesn’t work and a google search didn’t turn up anything. What is his aim? Is he planning on producing goods for sale with the word Corrie on them? Or is he just going around harassing and suing Canadians who use the term? I’m appalled by this. It seems that we should also hold the Canadian Intellectual Property Office to blame, for allowing people to copyright words or terms. It’s all quite offensive. Thanks for sharing this information with your readers. I’ll definitely boycott Billy Black’s business if I come across it at the British Isles Show.
The word Corrie has been used for many years by Coronation Street fans, I have used it on many occasion as a user name on many web sites. Do I now have to change this user name to something else?
Well, now. Now that Corrie Nation has launched on Facebook does this mean that Canadians can’t play the game without Mr. Black’s permission? Did the game’s creators get his permission for the title? How ridiculous to even suggest it.
RE: Corrie trademark. I wonder does Granada TV have any right to this name and just like McDonalds restaurants would they ever clamp down on someone else trying to use the name for their own profit???