High court finds Erwin Clausen of Germany guilty of passing off his UK Ukulele Orchestra as the successful Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

A band of veteran pluckers from London who have earned millions in a 30-year career, which has included sell-out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and performances with Robbie Williams, claimed victory against a rival group launched in Germany with a remarkably similar name and act.

Judge Hacon found the German promoter Erwin Clausen was guilty of passing off when he used the name UK Ukulele Orchestra (UKUO) for a band he put together in 2009 because fans might confuse it with the longer established Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UKOGB).

The latter act has become a cultish British institution, playing at the Proms, Glastonbury and on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. It has built a reputation around amusing and expertly played covers of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights and Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, among other hits.

The judge ruled Clausen and his colleagues in Yellow Promotions “acted outside honest practices” when they set up their band and that some concert-goers find UKUO shows “to be of low quality” when compared to UKOGB.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/02/judge-rules-in-battle-of-the-ukulele-orchestras