Badger
Member
How protected are bus company names and liveries?
It seems strange how many second hand buses retain their former companies' liveries and even brand names on the side. For example ACL Travel and Handyrider buses are seen in Wolverhampton operated by Travel Express with no effort made to hide the former company's name.
Are liveries protected at all? I.e. if somebody wanted to start a company using something as intricate as Stagecoach's, using the exact same livery, would anything happen?
On top of that there are vastly similar names around here. Different companies in the West Midlands:
National Express West Midlands (Formerly, Travel West Midlands)
Travel Express
Midland
Midland Bus
Central Connect
Central Buses
The Green Bus Service (now gone)
The Green Bus Company (unrelated, and ran at the same time)
AM/PM travel operated in Coventry using the National Express Coventry livery, but that livery is quite basic. So how intricate does a livery need to be..
AM/PM: http://wmbusphotos.com/AMPMPAGES/ampm483.110421 (900 x 600).jpg
NX:Cov: http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/4225-4474/4454.html
Then you've got former Midland Red, as opposed to Midland (who are red!)
It seems strange how many second hand buses retain their former companies' liveries and even brand names on the side. For example ACL Travel and Handyrider buses are seen in Wolverhampton operated by Travel Express with no effort made to hide the former company's name.
Are liveries protected at all? I.e. if somebody wanted to start a company using something as intricate as Stagecoach's, using the exact same livery, would anything happen?
On top of that there are vastly similar names around here. Different companies in the West Midlands:
National Express West Midlands (Formerly, Travel West Midlands)
Travel Express
Midland
Midland Bus
Central Connect
Central Buses
The Green Bus Service (now gone)
The Green Bus Company (unrelated, and ran at the same time)
AM/PM travel operated in Coventry using the National Express Coventry livery, but that livery is quite basic. So how intricate does a livery need to be..
AM/PM: http://wmbusphotos.com/AMPMPAGES/ampm483.110421 (900 x 600).jpg
NX:Cov: http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/4225-4474/4454.html
Then you've got former Midland Red, as opposed to Midland (who are red!)