FCUK seeks damages after Tories agree to drop name

Fashion retailer French Connection is to continue to pursue costs and damages from Conservative Future, the party’s youth wing, after it agreed to drop its new name “cfuk” last week.

French Connection had begun court proceedings against the Conservative Party for breach of copyright against its own registered trademark “fcuk”. Conservative Future, which replaced the disbanded Young Conservatives, wanted to be known under the cfuk initials – which stand for Conservative Future United Kingdom.

Shortly before a High Court hearing last week, the Conservative Party agreed not to distribute any more merchandise bearing the initials and later gave undertakings in court.

Now French Connection is seeking costs and damages from the political party – estimated at up to &£100,000.

Stephen Digby, a partner and head of intellectual property at French Connection’s lawyers Davenport Lyons, says: “We are open to any reasonable settlement.” But he says if discussions are not satisfactory, further legal proceedings will ensue.

He says marketing and branding experts would then be called as expert witnesses by French Connection, to explain how an association with the Tories’ youth wing might damage the fashion chain’s brand.