Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Chocolate bean
Having just become a Facebook friend of Captain Beany, otherwise known as the very orange charity fundraiser and perennial election candidate, Barry Kirk from Port Talbot, it would be remiss not to mention this little spat in the pages of the today's Western Mail:
Selfridges, based in a vast art-deco headquarters which is the largest building in London’s Oxford Street, has just begun selling a luxury chocolate range named Credit Crunch.
But Captain Beany, who operates from his flat on Port Talbot’s Sandfields housing estate, claims he got there first and the upmarket department store has infringed his trademark.
Beany, 54, who changed his name by deed poll from Barry Kirk 15 years ago, filed a trademark application for credit crunch with regard to chocolate in August this year.
The application – trademark number 2491835 – is confirmed on the public website of the UK Intellectual Property Office based in Newport with no counter applications on the site from Selfridges or the manufacturers of the luxury range, The Chocolate Society.
At his home close to the Port Talbot seafront yesterday the veteran fund raiser proudly showed examples of his Credit Crunch chocolate bars, a small sample of which were manufactured for him by Scottish company Groovy Chocolate Ltd.
Captain Beany – whose slogan is “The half-baked but full-blown fundraiser” – has since been giving his bars away free.
But Selfridges – whose slogan is “The customer is always right” – is selling its 150g bags for £3.99.
James Auton, spokesman for The Chocolate Society, based in London, admitted yesterday he had never heard of Captain Beany.
He said: “Our luxury range for Selfridges does not involve bars, they are bags of chocolate enrobed honeycomb. I think that’s quite different.
“We were going to register it as Hokey Pokey but thought Credit Crunch was more appropriate given the current economic crisis.”
Captain Beany may have a case. Miles Rees, of the UK Intellectual Property Office marketing department, told the paper that once applied for, trademarks were protected in the goods and services area they were filed for. He confirmed that the trademark should apply to all types of chocolate products.
Captain Beany has said that he is outraged at hearing that Selfridges had brought out Credit Crunch chocolate: “I was actually eating one of my bars when I read about it in the Western Mail. I’m livid". He added: “I’m prepared to demonstrate outside Selfridges and The Chocolate Society." If he sets up a charity sponsorship site for his demonstration then I will contribute.
Selfridges, based in a vast art-deco headquarters which is the largest building in London’s Oxford Street, has just begun selling a luxury chocolate range named Credit Crunch.
But Captain Beany, who operates from his flat on Port Talbot’s Sandfields housing estate, claims he got there first and the upmarket department store has infringed his trademark.
Beany, 54, who changed his name by deed poll from Barry Kirk 15 years ago, filed a trademark application for credit crunch with regard to chocolate in August this year.
The application – trademark number 2491835 – is confirmed on the public website of the UK Intellectual Property Office based in Newport with no counter applications on the site from Selfridges or the manufacturers of the luxury range, The Chocolate Society.
At his home close to the Port Talbot seafront yesterday the veteran fund raiser proudly showed examples of his Credit Crunch chocolate bars, a small sample of which were manufactured for him by Scottish company Groovy Chocolate Ltd.
Captain Beany – whose slogan is “The half-baked but full-blown fundraiser” – has since been giving his bars away free.
But Selfridges – whose slogan is “The customer is always right” – is selling its 150g bags for £3.99.
James Auton, spokesman for The Chocolate Society, based in London, admitted yesterday he had never heard of Captain Beany.
He said: “Our luxury range for Selfridges does not involve bars, they are bags of chocolate enrobed honeycomb. I think that’s quite different.
“We were going to register it as Hokey Pokey but thought Credit Crunch was more appropriate given the current economic crisis.”
Captain Beany may have a case. Miles Rees, of the UK Intellectual Property Office marketing department, told the paper that once applied for, trademarks were protected in the goods and services area they were filed for. He confirmed that the trademark should apply to all types of chocolate products.
Captain Beany has said that he is outraged at hearing that Selfridges had brought out Credit Crunch chocolate: “I was actually eating one of my bars when I read about it in the Western Mail. I’m livid". He added: “I’m prepared to demonstrate outside Selfridges and The Chocolate Society." If he sets up a charity sponsorship site for his demonstration then I will contribute.
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James Auton, spokesman for The Chocolate Society, based in London, admitted yesterday he had never heard of Captain Beany.
Where has the man been living for the last ten years??
Where has the man been living for the last ten years??
I've voted for CB on a number of occasions when he stood for Council in Sandfields East - what a player full of beans.
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