Boxpark takes legal action over ‘copycat’ Dubai pop-up scheme
Original: Boxpark in Shoreditch. Photograph: Boxpark
The founders of Boxpark, a Shoreditch pop-up mall made of shipping containers, is taking legal action against a ‘copycat’ scheme being built in Dubai.
Property company Meraas Holding LLC is to open a mall using the trademarked Boxpark name in the Wasl district of Dubai. According to its website, the planned shopping centre is to include 44 stores, restaurants and cafes.
Lawyers for the Shoreditch shopping centre have written to Meraas Holding demanding that it immediately ceases and desists its use of the Boxpark name.
Boxpark was built in 2011 and was trademarked in the UK, Europe, US, and internationally in 2010. But the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is not covered by the International Trademark System, and trademarks are registered locally.
In September 2014 Meraas Holding was granted the Boxpark trademark in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Roger Wade, CEO and Founder of Boxpark has appealed directly to Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, asking him to “encourage” the company to stop using the Boxpark name.
Mr Wade said: “Dubai and Sheik Mohammed have developed an excellent business relationship with the UK. We are confident that Sheik Mohammed and the Dubai Government would not actively look to copy our established brand, and we are appealing to the Dubai Government and Sheik Mohammed to encourage Meraas to comply with our reasonable demands.”
I imagine the sheikh’s response will be not unlike the plaintiff’s in the case of Arkell vs Pressdram.
And the lawyers win whatever happens.
Surely this planet is big enough for more than one “box park”.
Surely there are more important things to focus our attentions and time and money on.
Here’s an idea. Let other people name a bunch of shops and cafes in shipping containers “box park” if they like. It isn’t really very important.
Because in the grand scheme of things, Hackney has an abundance of lovely shops and lovely cafes, all with lovely names. It’s a part of what makes Hackney wonderful.
Meanwhile of greater importance for us to turn our entrepreneurial, creative and innovative business minds towards, is the lack of resources caring for our more vulnerable neighbours.
And therefore Shipping Containers as free pop-up urban homeless shelters, with washing and cooking facilities, You can name it what you like, the priority is to actively improve our local communities FOR EVERYBODY.
MINDKIND – We Are Built To Be Kind
Anyone who knows Dubai will realise that shipping containers have been used for years for purposes other than their intended.
Fake brands sadly still persist in the region, although the UAE including Dubai has done much to stamp out this practice. If the name has not been registered or made copyright Boxpark stand very little success of winning their case which will be lengthy and expensive.
They should try and sell the business to an investor in Dubai. This will follow the pattern already well established of so -called trophy assets in London being sold to overseas investors.