I think it’s because I spent a lot of today poring over trademark applications and scouring the WIPO and IPO websites for definitions that the Rhythmix vs. Rhythmix case has finally been resolved. To recap, South East-based music charity, Rhythmix, were appealing to the producers of The X Factor to change the name of one of the show’s finalists, girl group, Rhythmix. The initial refusal by the show resulted in a wave of social media movement, most notably the Nirvana for No1 campaign on Facebook amassing over 67,000 members.
This evening, it was announced on BBC Radio1’s programme, Newsbeat, that the girl band Rhythmix were changing their name.
X Factor producers released a statement saying: “At the request of the charity Rhythmix, the members of the girl group Rhythmix have decided to change their name, a decision which has the support of Syco and TalkbackTHAMES.
“The group’s new name will be announced in due course.”
A victory over the global corporation, no doubt, but at what cost? Simco and its portfolio of businesses haven’t handled the PR storm that was resultant of an initial belief that was arguably of the ‘I’m bigger than you’ nature in the most delicate way possible. From the first ‘get a lawyer’ to the secondary ‘we just need more time’ to the obligatory ‘no comment’, the company infuriated not just the immediate supporters of the charity Rhythmix, but charitable advocates the country over.
Throughout the course of the afternoon, publication after publication, including MTV, Reuters and Glamour magazine all reported on the legal dispute between entertainment behemoth and regional charity. This (perhaps from Simco’s view) unprecedented publicity resulted in the change – although reported to be the teenage girls’ decision.
To me, this begs the question; has it come to the point that four teenage girls display more morality than a multi-national organisation? Appears so.
