Is this the end of TheUrbanShop?
There’s been a story to tell that I have been dying to tell for months now and I wish it was better news but here goes.
In 1999 I was employed by Headstrong Ltd to help set up and run an online men’s clothing website. Shortly after joining they dismissed my immediate manager and put me in his position as top dog.
Now lets zoom on a few years, the guys that owned Headstrong Ltd were niceish people far to much money and very busy making more, they would not really let me run Headstrong and so it never did develop as a viable business. So in 2003 the one owner remaining came to me saying hat they were closing down headstrong and offered me another position in telecoms company he owned. I love Headstrong and the whole business I had been running with a passion and so agreed to take Headstrong of his hands and run it.
Lets zoom now to 2006, I was still friendly with the owner of Headstrong Ltd and maybe foolishly I would give honest answers to how the business was doing, after all I was very proud of what I had turned Headstrong into it was now a viable business and in the first year of owning it I had increased sales by 500%. So here’s the crunch I didn’t actually own the domain name and asked that it be transferred to my name but that was not to happen. Headstrong Ltd realised that there was a buck to be made and instead of giving over the domain or indeed selling it they offer to rent it to me for 5 years for the sum of £250,000 yes that’s not a misprint.
Hello theurbanshop, we basically changed the name over to a domain I owned rebranded the site and after 6 months were back up and running and all lived happy ever after, er no that only happens in fairy tales. Because of our previous experience we though ok this time we will trademark our name and since 2006 with have been in a legal battle with a Chinese ladies fashion manufactures called “Urban Shock” who say there could be confusion between our names.
This battle has raged for 3 years and twice we have won but yesterday the judgement was overturned and we lost, with barristers at £3000 a pop (that’s day to you and me) we are not sure if we can continue has this judgement means we will have to change our name again. So it’s easy running an online shop isn’t it?
We have options, appeal, change our name and rebrand, give up(not really in our nature) but with the financial climate as it is right now we may have no choice.
Anybody want to offer me a job?
In 1999 I was employed by Headstrong Ltd to help set up and run an online men’s clothing website. Shortly after joining they dismissed my immediate manager and put me in his position as top dog.
Now lets zoom on a few years, the guys that owned Headstrong Ltd were niceish people far to much money and very busy making more, they would not really let me run Headstrong and so it never did develop as a viable business. So in 2003 the one owner remaining came to me saying hat they were closing down headstrong and offered me another position in telecoms company he owned. I love Headstrong and the whole business I had been running with a passion and so agreed to take Headstrong of his hands and run it.
Lets zoom now to 2006, I was still friendly with the owner of Headstrong Ltd and maybe foolishly I would give honest answers to how the business was doing, after all I was very proud of what I had turned Headstrong into it was now a viable business and in the first year of owning it I had increased sales by 500%. So here’s the crunch I didn’t actually own the domain name and asked that it be transferred to my name but that was not to happen. Headstrong Ltd realised that there was a buck to be made and instead of giving over the domain or indeed selling it they offer to rent it to me for 5 years for the sum of £250,000 yes that’s not a misprint.
Hello theurbanshop, we basically changed the name over to a domain I owned rebranded the site and after 6 months were back up and running and all lived happy ever after, er no that only happens in fairy tales. Because of our previous experience we though ok this time we will trademark our name and since 2006 with have been in a legal battle with a Chinese ladies fashion manufactures called “Urban Shock” who say there could be confusion between our names.
This battle has raged for 3 years and twice we have won but yesterday the judgement was overturned and we lost, with barristers at £3000 a pop (that’s day to you and me) we are not sure if we can continue has this judgement means we will have to change our name again. So it’s easy running an online shop isn’t it?
We have options, appeal, change our name and rebrand, give up(not really in our nature) but with the financial climate as it is right now we may have no choice.
Anybody want to offer me a job?
Labels: SturbanClothing
posted by Unknown at 9:30 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home