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ARTICLE · 13 DECEMBER 2005

Wyrder And Weirder – Choosing And Protecting A Name

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You may have read about the recent $40 million lawsuit launched by the Canadian band The Wyrd Sisters against Warner Bros. for the alleged use of their name The Wyrd Sisters as the name of a band in the new film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

CanadaIntellectual Property
Sharon Groom
Sharon Groom
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Originally published in the Intellectual Property Bulletin November 2005

You may have read about the recent $40 million lawsuit launched by the Canadian band The Wyrd Sisters against Warner Bros. for the alleged use of their name The Wyrd Sisters as the name of a band in the new film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.1 The real life band has been around for 15 years and is claiming that the publicity that has been generated by the use of their name in the film (even prior to the film’s release) has created an unwanted association between their band and the film. As a result, they claim that people are going to be confused between the real band and the fictitious movie band. In addition to damages, the group is seeking an injunction to delay the release of the movie in Canada pending the resolution of this matter.

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