“We’re not going to back down”: tiny Portland B&B stands up to Airbnb’s legal bid to ‘monopolise’ letters ‘bnb’
Three little letters - bnb-side’s name is a play on the local b-side arts festival, but Silicon Valley colossus sees threat to global brand
TL;DR
- A small B&B on the Isle of Portland, named bnb-side, is in a legal dispute with Airbnb.
- The B&B argues that 'bnb' in its name refers to 'bed and breakfast', a common term.
- Airbnb claims the name threatens its global brand and has sent legal letters demanding cessation of use.
- b-side, the arts festival that bnb-side supports, relies heavily on the B&B's income.
- Losing the name would incur significant costs for rebranding and could jeopardize the festival's funding.
- Airbnb's opposition is based on grounds of consumer confusion, reputational damage, and financial misrepresentation.
- Legal experts suggest Airbnb may face an 'uphill battle' as 'bnb' is a descriptive phrase widely understood by the public.
- There is also a public relations risk for Airbnb if it appears to aggressively pursue a community organization.