A Liverpool pet products company, Boss Pets, has been told to take down its website after the fashion house Hugo Boss said its name was infringing its trademark.
“Boss” is a commonly used slang word in Merseyside, used to mean something is great or excellent. Ben McDonald, from Bootle, set up the online pet health supplies business in February, the BBC reported.
McDonald, who describes himself as “just a lad from Bootle” who had spent “every spare penny” launching the business, said his “whole world collapsed” when he received a letter from the brand demanding he stop using the word. He was given 10 days to take down his website or face legal action.
His lawyer, Francis McEntegart, said: “My client is a small local business that is just starting out selling pet wellness products. It’s not going to interfere with the profits of Hugo Boss in any way.”
A spokesperson for Hugo Boss said she was aware of the colloquial use of the word, but that the company needed to “protect our brand rights”.
“We are aware that the English word ‘boss’ is one that is commonly used,” she said. “Nevertheless, it’s our responsibility to monitor and protect our brand rights globally and address unclear cases where needed.”
“When we became aware of the registration, we have approached the business owner as the intended registration represents an overlap with our trademarks,” she added.
“As an international fashion company, we need to – like any other corporation – take measures to protect our existing trademark rights. These measures apply to both of our brands, Boss and Hugo.”
The German fashion house is known for fiercely enforcing its trademark. In 2020, the comedian Joe Lycett briefly changed his name by deed poll to Hugo Boss in response to the company sending cease-and-desist letters to small businesses and charities that had used the word boss in their names.