TV Channel Name Changes Question?

[MCIBUS]

I'm just curious about something.

With the about to change Sex TV(W Movies) Driv'n Clasics(Sundance channel) March 1. Thaty along with other Channel name changes.

The question ois can another company or oindividual conme along get licience for a channel and call it by one of the previous channels name

ie

A western Channel comes along and wants to call themselfs Lonestar?

The reason I ask is because Super Channel(not the present one, the one first licienced back in the early 80's) can some one come along and call their channel by a previous channels name, that be not own by the same owner of the orginal channel name owner?

Know grant you I'm not sure about Copy Rights and that and how long they last on a 'given" name, but if the present owners of Super Channel can call themselfs that and Corus owners of Movie Centeral which was previously called Super Channel, I'm wondering others dop that?

Like I said I'm not that up on copy rights and all that.

Any thoughts?

[Francois Caron]

I believe it depends on if the name has been registered as a trade-mark with Industry Canada, and if the registration is still active. That's the main reason I registered "The Canadian Public". Anyone who tries to use "Canadian" and "Public" in a way where the word "Public" is a noun could end up receiving a nasty letter from my lawyers.

Oh right. I don't have lawyers yet.

[Nanuuk]

I don't think that they can. Typically, the name would be a registered trademark and someone wanting to use it would have to pay. Witness the Superchannel trademark. Allarcom lost it many years ago after Superchannel became Movie Central. It wasn't until recently that they bought the name back to launch the current version of Superchannel.

[Francois Caron]

The mention of Superchannel reminded me of another former cable specialty channel, C Channel. The registered trade-mark was renewed by its current owner, Crossroads Christian Communications Inc., back in 1998. They own the trade-mark until 2013 at which point they can renew it again ($350) or let it expire.

[Paolo]

mtv canada changed their name to RAZR, then talk TV renamed to MTV Canada. but i think they were using the name under licencing agreements.

[MCIBUS]

But aren't they owned by CTVglobemedia?

What I wanted to know was if another compsany(not previous owner/present owner) of that station name could use as there own?

[hugh]

The question ois can another company or oindividual conme along get licience for a channel and call it by one of the previous channels name

May I suggest you use a spell checker prior to posting

[classicsat]

Originally Posted by MCIBUS

But aren't they owned by CTVglobemedia?

Now they are, then they weren't.
It goes like this:
Craig licenses the MTV/MTV2 brands for digital specialty channels.
CHUM buys Craig, dumps MTV brands, supposedly to not dilute the MuchMusic brand.
CTVGM snaps up MTV brand for their Talk channel.
CTVGM buys CHUM.

What I wanted to know was if another compsany(not previous owner/present owner) of that station name could use as there own?

Only if the trademark on that brand has been released, not renewed, or sold.

[kirjtc2]

What the most likely situation was (and I'm too lazy to look up the trademark database right now):

* Viacom trademarked MTV name in Canada in the 80s-90s to avoid others capitalizing on success of US channel.
* Craig licenses MTV name for new channel.
* Viacom and/or CHUM pulls license when Craig is purchased.
* Viacom relicenses name to CTVgm.

[Francois Caron]

MTV Networks applied for the trade-mark in March of 1983, and it was officially registered in October of 1987. The first transfer of ownership occurred in May of 1986 when MTV networks and Viacom merged, while the trade-mark application was still being processed.