BSkyB successfully sue Microsoft's 'SkyDrive' out the cloud

US tech giant's cloud service storage will be renamed after a "transition period"

Microsoft have been forced to renamed its cloud storage service (currently known as SkyDrive) after a UK court has ruled that it infringed on a trademark owned by the broadcaster BSkyB.

The US computer giant had originally planned to appeal the decision but dropped this in favour of being awarded a grace period before a new name has to be introduced. How long this will last for is unknown.

BskyB complained only in relation to the use of ‘SkyDrive’ in the European Union, but Microsoft have confirmed that the name change will be enforced worldwide.

“We’re glad to have resolution of this naming dispute,” said Microsoft in an official statement, “and will continue to deliver the great service our hundreds of millions of customers expect, providing the best way to always have your files with you.”

BskyB said: “We are pleased to have reached a settlement after Microsoft agreed not to appeal the trade mark infringement judgment in relation to its SkyDrive service.”

“We will remain vigilant in protecting the Sky brand and will continue to take appropriate action against those companies who seek to use our trade mark without consent.”

BskyB’s pride in their ‘vigilance’ is well-founded. Last year they took a US manufacturer to court over their branding of a ‘Sky’ pen. The product recognised the users handwriting and automatically converted it into text documents. It has since been rebranded as the ‘Livescribe wifi smartpen’.