Bus company names/liveries

[Badger]

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!)

 

[SS4]

Hasn't Central Connect gone too? Or at least changing to {Blue,Red,Black} Diamond depending on area.

Where it comes to liveries I'd suspect you cannot copyright certain colour schemes because they do not meet the Threshold of Originality. The two pictures you link to are basically a generic blue and white colour scheme. The national express logo itself probably is copyrighted though

 

[anthony263]

SWT (Neath) when they first started operating did look into using the old livery however they couldnt find out whether First cymru still owned the rights to the old livery. From what I found it appeared First didnt but SWT didnt wish to get into a possible legal battle with First so chose a simialr livery to countryride who are based in Guildford.
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I think Stagecoach still own the rights to the original Stagecoach livery

 

[SS4]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6588691421_db7fdfe4b6_z.jpg

Could you really say that livery is original enough to warrant protection? The name and maybe the slogan are but there'd be no justification for the background

 

[Mojo]

The Statutory Quality Partnership in Birmingham City Centre includes a requirement: "No vehicles are to be used which remain in a livery belonging to a previous operator under any circumstances or bear any previous operator’s branding or other information."

http://www.connectedcity.org.uk/projects/birmingham_statutory_quality_partnership_agreement

This comes into effect on 22-July, and companies who do not comply will not be allowed to use the bus facilities in Birmingham City Centre.

 

[DavyCrocket]

The awful operator Countryliner run with ex arriva and metroline livery. The former can be used in Sussex but not Surrey as Arriva still use that livery there. But as Countryliner don't bother with uniforms or destination or number displays either...

 

[Schnellzug]

that's one reason why First don't often sell on second hand vehicles; so that cowboys can't use scruffy, unkempt vehicles that people might think are First's.

 

[anthony263]

that's one reason why First don't often sell on second hand vehicles; so that cowboys can't use scruffy, unkempt vehicles that people might think are First's.

Arriva had this problem when some people complained about Arriva's services in Bath & Bristol because some buses were running around still in Arriva livery with branding (Guess who the operator was?)

 

[trentside]

Wasn't there an incident where a company in Perth used buses in Stagecoach livery to compete against Stagecoach? I seem to remember it was one of the factors in the company losing their operating licence.

For using vehicles in previous operators liveries, On A Mission coaches in Buckinghamshire didn't repaint any of their service vehicles, and used buses in Metroline, Lothian, Stagecoach and Arriva colours (amongst others)!

 

[tbtc]

I think that this is one reason why the bigger bus companies go for such "odd" liveries (turquoise, pink, flashes and swoops...) - when you had operators with just one colour (like First Glasgow's all red livery) it was easier for other companies to imitate.

 

[causton]

I once saw a Uno bus (bright pink and purple livery) which had not been repainted, just new vinyls applied. And many buses here are ex-London, which means some cheaper operators (Logic Travel, or whatever name they are this week) have Metroline ones in a terrible condition - they've put the new names over the top without removing the old Metroline logo though!

 

[Ivo]

Arriva had this problem when some people complained about Arriva's services in Bath & Bristol because some buses were running around still in Arriva livery with branding (Guess who the operator was?)

Please do share

Based on how their services can be sometimes most complaints of this nature would make Arriva look good

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Travel Express...the ones who have just logged their SLF pointer with their logos...but in BluVal livery!

It comes to something when Banga Buses have a consistent livery and smart fleet compared to National Express...and don't get me started on Diamonds 1000 liveries!

 

[anthony263]

Please do share

Based on how their services can be sometimes most complaints of this nature would make Arriva look good [/QUOTE


I believe the operator was Wessex Connect/South Gloucestershire Bus & coach when they tried launching some services competing against First in Bristol and a few routes in Bath.
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I once saw a Uno bus (bright pink and purple livery) which had not been repainted, just new vinyls applied. And many buses here are ex-London, which means some cheaper operators (Logic Travel, or whatever name they are this week) have Metroline ones in a terrible condition - they've put the new names over the top without removing the old Metroline logo though!

There is a UNO liveried bus being operated by a local operator in Port Talbot.
The sight of it did bring some smiles to First Cymru's drivers though

 

[Schnellzug]

I believe the operator was Wessex Connect/South Gloucestershire Bus & coach when they tried launching some services competing against First in Bristol and a few routes in Bath.

That was as I suspected. Faresaver (that outfit with the miscellaneous collection of minibuses) did that as well, didn't they. I'm sure I've seen Arriva liveried ones around Bath.

 

[bicbasher]

In London, TfL have a ruling on elements of the branding of vehicles, however as today's bus strike has shown, there has been confusion with regards to which operators are working today as there are four divisions of Go-Ahead London and Arriva who are either on strike or have a injunction to make their employees work.

Arriva seem to share the same branding for Arriva Shires, Kent Thamesside (with London tenders) and Arriva London (which is split into North and South).

Go-Ahead London has a generic logo with the local company underneath in a small font. (London Central/General/Blue Triangle/Docklands Buses).