§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to copyright the name of the UK Sports Institute. [62700]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 7 December 1998]: I assume that the hon. Member has in mind registration of a trademark rather than copyright. Action is in hand through the United Kingdom Sports Council to register as a trademark the names 'UK Sports Institute', 'United Kingdom Sports Institute' and 'UKSI' with the Trademarks Registry. A hearing before the Trademarks Examiner was attended by the UK Sports Council's legal advisers on 24 November as a forerunner to the process of formalising the submission of evidence for registration in the form of a Statutory Declaration.
A licence agreement has also been prepared between the Department, the UK Sports Council and Phoenix Sports Ltd. (the Sheffield bid team) for use of the trademark 'UK Sports Institute' and other similar marks during the period prior to registration of the trademark.