After several requests to respect its trademark rights, Dallas-based, HomeVestors of America, Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. for using a confusingly similar name in its HGTV network’s “Ugliest House in America” television show.
For over 25 years, the “We Buy Ugly Houses®” company has used its trademark to build a brand known for helping homeowners and bringing good will to the community. To further spread their good will in the community, they host an annual contest for “The Ugliest House of The Year”, a name which they registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). But earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. began showing its “Ugliest House in America” television show on its network, HGTV. The show makes a spectacle of owners and their homes for odd design choices and characterizing the homes as “heinous” or “grotesque.” HomeVestors says the show’s ridicule of such homes does not align with its values or brand identity and is not an accurate reflection of how the franchisees interact with customers.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. uses “Ugliest House in America” as a title for a home renovation show on its HGTV network. During the show, properties are nominated by its owners as the ugliest home around. The country is then divided into four regions and based upon select criteria, four homes from each region are selected as finalists. After determining the “Ugliest House In America”, a designer surprises the homeowners with a home renovation.
Despite repeated requests to stop using HomeVestors’ trademark, HGTV continued to do so, forcing HomeVestors to file a law suit to prevent HGTV from further confusing the public and harming the goodwill associated with the HomeVestors’ brand.
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