Direct Line squashes esure's mouse on wheels

Direct Line Insurance has won the High Court's backing in a bid to block a rival's application to trademark a representation of a computer mouse on wheels. Direct Line said esure's mark was too similar to its own, a red telephone on wheels. The court ruled that the trademark application should be refused because its use would …

[DaveT]

but

"Mister Mouse was designed by the same team that designed Direct Line's telephone on wheels."

They haven't taken responsibility for designing Michael Winner then?

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting...

I'm sure I've seen Direct Line TV adverts with a red, wheeled mouse parked alongside the red, wheeled phone.

[Rob]

I wonder...

... if it was the same design team that created the mouse on wheels as well? As direct line has actually used a mouse with wheels on some of it's ads.

Just goes to show some ad/design agenices are really lucky with their ideas and then after that it's all a variation on a theme.

[Anonymous Coward]

Somebody tell Fisher Price

Definite court case here, Fisher Price had a telephone on wheels years before Direct Line was even thought of!!

[Trevor Watt]

Confused?

Hell it just took me an age to write this as I confused my mouse with my telephone and have been trying to click on the text entry box with the number 1 button!

So anything with wheels on is not allowed if your selling insurance in case we get confused and think it is Direct Line? They must really think that Joe Public is a thick as two short planks.

I can not be the only person thinking it is all getting just a bit silly....

[richard]

Err...

They are ALL HBOS companies here

Royal bank is HBOS too, or am I going mad?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Interesting

You mean like the one on the www.directline.com homepage?

It's even got a nice "optical" underglow to entice the street racers that Direct Line wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

[Dave]

Scottish banks (fiends)

My head is in a complete spin. Not only do these Scottish banks bamboozle and befuddle me with their competing designs of bank notes, but now they further stir up the middle in my mind by putting wheels on all sorts of things that don't deserve them. Perhaps the loser in this case (sorry - remind me which set of bankers was it who lost?) could go back to that 'think once - sell many' ad agency and ask for a Michael Winner head on wheels as their marketing differentiator.

On second thoughts...

[Anonymous Coward]

Winner on wheels

>and ask for a Michael Winner head on wheels as their marketing differentiator.

I wonder if this could be done surgically?

But then the wheels would probably reject Winner...

[James]

Re: Err... RBoS = HBOS NO!

richard

No, Royal Bank is not part of Halifax/Bank of Scotland!

On original topic: Don't see why the fuss about rounded boxes on wheels....

[Anonymous Coward]

HBOS RBOS

Halifax Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank Of Scotland group are two very different companies (if only just in size - RBOS is 3rd biggest UK bank/5th in the world or something), and since RBOS took over NatWest there isn't much love lost between the two. This looks like a clear case of HBOS trying to capitalise on an RBOS (group) trade mark. I also seem to remember having seen a wheeled mouse on the DL adverts.

This brings me to the point - why are the two companies using the same agency and should the HBOS be getting a damn sight better service than some left over designs from RBOS sprayed a different colour...

[Andy]

Royal bank is HBOS too, or am I going mad?

Your going mad, RBS is nothing to do with HBOS

[Anonymous Coward]

Incorrect Sir!

>> So this is why my car wasnt fixed properly

No, it's because in Direct Line's little world, just being one of their customers makes you at fault for any road traffic accident. Or is that esure? I can't remember, their logos are mirror images of each other!

[Anonymous Coward]

Who buys based on the logo?

I choose my insurance based on the lowest price. What kind of muppet just goes looking for a trademark they like.

Besides, there is a major distinguishing feature here - colour. Direct Line is recognisable because it's bright red whereas esure have a blue/orange colour scheme. These colour schemes cover all there corporate branding and websites.