Microsoft Forced to Rename Skydrive

Microsoft will change the name of its cloud storage service, Skydrive, following a legal challenge from BSkyB.

A High Court judge ruled that the name infringed on BSkyB’s trademark and said that there was evidence that Skydrive’s name had resulted in confusion amongst the general public.

Although Microsoft were going to appeal, the company has now agreed to change the name worldwide after a “transition period”.

The two companies gave a joint statement saying: “The settlement of this case reflects the desire of both companies to focus on joint projects to benefit their customers.”

At the moment Xbox 360 owners in the UK can access Sky’s channels via the games console, and there have been reports that Microsoft and BSkyB are in talks over closer ties with the upcoming Xbox One.

Public Confusion

At the end of 2011 BSkyB ended its Store & Share cloud storage service, but in the legal challenge against Microsoft, it said that it still ran other digital services that included Sky Broadband and Sky Go video streaming products and therefore the use of the word “sky” in Microsoft’s brand was causing a problem.

The judge noted that customers who had a problem with Microsoft’s product, were contacting the broadcaster’s helpline thinking they were responsible for the Skydrive service.

This is not the first time Microsoft have had to change the name of one of its products. Recently it changed the name of its Windows 8 tile-based user interface, which was originally called Metro. According to reports, the German retailer Metro AG objected to the name and so Microsoft changed the name to “Windows 8-style UI”.

Although neither company confirmed these reports, one technology news site claims to have seen an internal Microsoft memo ordering staff to stop using the term following “discussions with an important European partner”.

[Image via surfaceversus]

SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23530337