Microsoft To Change SkyDrive Name After BskyB Lawsuit

Microsoft will have to change SkyDrive branding worldwide, after a UK court ruled the name infringed on a trademark registered by British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB).

BSkyB owns Sky Television, Sky Broadband and other telecommunications services, with these trademarks registered across the EU.

The company said in a statement that Microsoft will not appeal the decision. It is also evident the US software giant will not pay to continue using the SkyDrive name. Other details of the settlement remain unknown.

Microsoft previously abandoned the ‘Metro’ name for its Windows 8 user interface, following a lawsuit brought about by German retail group Metro AG. Microsoft never acknowledged any connection between the name change and Metro’s legal threats, instead saying that ‘Metro’ was a development codename that was due to be changed anyway.

‘Files With Friends’

In the beginning of July, England and Wales High Court ruled that continued use of the SkyDrive name by Microsoft would create “a likelihood of confusion in the average consumer”, leading the public to believe the two companies were somehow connected.

To prove this point, Sky presented records of 17 customers who had contacted its customer services seeking information about SkyDrive. The broadcaster had previously operated its own cloud storage service called Sky Store & Share, making the matter even more complicated.

At the time, Microsoft said it would appeal the decision. But it seems that the company realised that the odds are against it.

BskyB will let Microsoft use the familiar name “for a reasonable period of time to allow for an orderly transition to a new brand.” It is not clear whether the software company will have to pay for use of the trademark during this period.

“We’re glad to have resolution of this naming dispute, and will continue to deliver the great service our hundreds of millions of customers expect, providing the best way to always have your files with you,” a Microsoft spokesman told The Verge.

Some of the new names for SkyDrive instantly suggested by the community include ’ZuneDrive’, ‘SkypeDrive’ and ‘Files With Friends’. However, it is likely that just like with Google Talk, popularly known as Gchat, and the Windows 8 interface which is still referred to as Metro, Microsoft’s cloud storage platform will always remain SkyDrive in the minds of its users.

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