The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

BBC takes legal action against handyman over ‘DIY SOS’ copyright infringement

Author

By John Glenday, Reporter

July 20, 2012 | 2 min read

The BBC’s lawyers have turned their ire on a handyman amidst claims that his company name, ‘Tel’s DIY SOS’ bore too close a similarity to their own property renovation show, ‘DIY SOS’.

Terry Jacobs received a letter from BBC execs concerned that his business could damage the reputation of their show and demanded that he change the name under threat of ‘further action’.

Jacobs will remove the word ‘SOS’ from the title as a result but the incident has fostered a well of resentment. He said: “No one has ever said to me ‘Are you something to do with the DIY programme on the telly?’

“If I was a multi-million pound company I could understand, but it seems they have nothing better to do than pick on a small man.”

DIY SOS, the BBC version, is presented by Nick Knowles who leads a team of tradesmen to upgrade rundown homes.

A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC works actively to protect both its reputation and the goodwill in its programme titles. This is to avoid any confusion among the public that those goods or services are either connected to or endorsed by the BBC.”

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +