FCUK Trademark

FRENCH Connection can continue branding their products FCUK after a bid to have the trademark banned failed.

The name was under threat after ex-businessman Dennis Woodman claimed it offended 'public morality'.

But the Patent Office Registrar rejected the case, saying: 'The offence is not caused by FCUK itself, but rather through word play, mistake or misconstruing of the letters.

December 2005

FCUK keeps logo

French Connection has won the legal battle to secure the FCUK logo on its accessories.

The British fashion chain had been inundated by complaints from retired businessman Dennis Woodman who had said the logo went against “generally accepted principles of morality” in light of how it could be misread.

The UK Trade Mark Registry dismissed the complaint, citing the success of the brand that stood for French Connection United Kingdom.
Woodman did not contest the use of the logo in the company's other product lines.

Unrelated to this, French Connection has decided to cut back on the use of the logo after sales plummeted and the company said the brand had become old and predictable.

December 2005

FCUK abandons provocative slogans

Eight years after introducing its famously shocking “fcuk” slogan, the floundering British fashion retailer French Connection has announced that it will abandon its branding in favour of something “more subtle”.

The company announced that the logo had been dropped from its clothing and billboards.

“Use of the fcuk logo has been toned down and will be used in a much more subtle way,” spokeswoman Lorna Perrin told Britain's Press Association. “Branding on the recent autumn/winter collection has been significantly reduced and used in a softer manner. But fcuk is interchangeable with French Connection as the company's name and so will continue to be used.”

This move comes in the wake of a severe sales slump, with like-for-like sales dropping 9 percent in the first six months of the year. Profits have dropped from £16.2 million to £5.1 million.

Although sales and profits skyrocketed soon after the logo was introduced in 1997, this September saw the company extending its summer sale to clear excess stock.

According to analysts, consumers have become bored with the fcuk slogan. “Logos are no longer prevalent in fashion collections and this is a response to the fact that our customers want something different,” said Perrin.

Tough trading conditions on the high street have also played their part in the company's difficulties. Earlier this year, French Connection issued a profit warning and admits that it will have to fight to earn more than £20 million this year.

French Connection has more than 100 stores and franchises throughout Europe.

October 2005