Microsoft forced to rename SkyDrive to OneDrive, following BSkyB trademark lawsuit

Microsoft has announced that it is renaming its SkyDrive consumer cloud storage service to OneDrive, after a UK court found the brand name infringes on a trademark owned by UK pay television service BSkyB.

In June last year, the England and Wales High Court found that BSkyB holds the “Sky” trademark for matters of software and digital communications within the EU.

The court found Microsoft’s SkyDrive could be confused with broadband internet and cloud-based services offered by BSkyB.

A month later, hot off the heels of Microsoft’s decision to rename its Metro user interface due to “an intellectual property dispute”, the tech giant signed a settlement with BSkyB agreeing to replace the trademark worldwide following a reasonable period of time.

“We’re glad to have resolution of this naming dispute, and will continue to deliver the great service our hundreds of millions of customers expect, providing the best way to always have your files with you,” Microsoft said at the time.

In a statement, Microsoft’s general manager of consumer apps and services, Ryan Gavin, attempts to spin the new brand as representing the company’s commitment to providing one place to store everything, rather than the outcome of an embarrassing trademark battle.

“Why OneDrive? We know that increasingly you will have many devices in your life, but you really want only one place for your most important stuff. One place for all of your photos and videos. One place for all of your documents.

“Of course, changing the name of a product as loved as SkyDrive wasn’t easy. We believe the new OneDrive name conveys the value we can deliver for you and best represents our vision for the future. We are excited about what is to come, and can’t wait to share more.”

The company is also reassuring current SkyDrive and SkyDrive Pro users the name change won’t have any impact on their services.