Letters: Appeal over Fat Rascals trademark

Freshly baked 'Whitby Fatties' which were known as Fat Rascals until Betty's claimed they owned the trademark. Friday 27 October. Picture Ceri Oakes.

It seems to me that there is overwhelming evidence to prove that the term Fat Rascal to describe a type of scone has been in use for many years before Betty’s registered it as a trade mark.

It should no more be the property of Betty’s than the term Swiss Roll to describe a type of cake.

All is not lost however, as a mechanism exists to have a registered trademark invalidated as if it never existed.

Full details and forms can be found on the government website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-marks-invalidation

There is a fee of £200 to submit an application.

Would anyone be willing to co-ordinate such an application maybe in conjunction with local bakers in the area who, I’m sure, would like to continue selling Fat Rascals under their traditional name without a warning letter?

Colin Sykes

Lealholm Bank

Lealholm