UK Parliament / Open data

Geneva Conventions and United Nations Personnel (Protocols) Bill [Lords]

Of course my hon. Friend, who is very experienced in the field of business, will know that not every business registers a trade name for a word or collection of words that they may use for a particular product or range of products. Quite clearly, the company called J Style has probably registered the words ““J Style”” as a trade name, but it is nevertheless currently selling a range of ladies' dresses called Red Crystal and has been doing so for some time. It seems to me that if it is to be prevented from doing that—my hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) made this point—it should have registered the trade name. If it is to be prevented from selling that range by our changing the law, does he agree that there should at least be some provision for compensation and that there should be no question of that company being punished? It was using the name first, so the Minister needs to make it clear that people are not going to be prosecuted for doing something that is lawful today, that will be lawful tomorrow, but that will not be lawful from the day when she decides to invoke this Bill into law, if we pass it, as use of the words ““Red Crystal”” will be unauthorised. I have also discovered that there is apparently a group of musicians—I do not know whether it is a rock group or a pop group—who call themselves ““Red Crystal””. [Interruption.] No, I am not a member of that group, but there is a band called Red Crystal and it has already released, I believe, a number of records. Will it be prevented from using that name in future?

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Reference

490 c952-3 

Session

2008-09

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
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