The Apprentice Bosses in Trademark Dispute over “You’re Fired Slogan”.

The Apprentice Bosses in Trademark Dispute over “You’re Fired Slogan”.

The bosses of popular television show- The Apprentice were recently embroiled in a trademark dispute over Lord Sugar’s famous catchphrase “you’re fired”.

London based entrepreneur Sheridan Simove from the Innovator Shed produced a toy pistol that when fired produced a flag that read “you’re fired”, he then attempted to register the trademark, but this was met by opposition by Mark Burnett productions- the makers of The Apprentice.

Mr Simove decided to undertake his own research; this revealed that their registered trademark did not cover the toy.

Mr Simove commented “I had 10,000 novelty ‘Bang Guns’ made that spell ‘You’re Fired’ when the trigger is pulled. To protect its product in the marker, I filed a trademark for the phrase ‘You’re Fired’ for the trademark class of ‘toys and novelties’. A lawyer from a big law firm contacted me and told me that Mark Burnett Productions, makers of The Apprentice wanted to file an opposition. They told me that they’d take action to block me using the phrase because they registered it years ago. They threatened legal action and to liquidate my stock”. He continued “I then dug a bit deeper and found out that they hadn’t actually locked down the class for ‘toys and novelties’. I proudly told the lawyer this and he went silent! They then came back to me and said that if I withdrew my application, they’d pay me a four figure sum to do so. So, in the end, I triumphed. I haven’t made any more the ‘You’re Fired’ guns.

Lord Sugar has declined to comment on the case. 

Fozia Cheychi