Google wins Shorts trademark lawsuit on Thursday after a British short film company claimed infringement over YouTube’s “Shorts” platform. London’s High Court ruled there was no risk of consumer confusion for the tech giant.
Shorts International, a company operating a TV channel for short films, sued Google last year, arguing that the “Shorts” name infringed on its trademark. Google-owned YouTube launched Shorts in late 2020, featuring one-minute videos to compete with TikTok.
The court’s decision confirms that Google wins in the UK. Google’s lawyer, Lindsay Lane, stated in court that it was “abundantly clear” the Shorts platform was associated with YouTube, not Shorts International. Judge Michael Tappin agreed, ruling that none of Google’s uses of “shorts” would confuse consumers about the platform’s origin.
Judge Tappin added that Google’s use of the word “shorts” would not harm Shorts International’s distinctive character or reputation. As a result, the court dismissed the lawsuit. Neither Google nor Shorts International immediately responded to requests for comment.
