<p>

<span style="font-size:20.5pt;"><font face="Georgia">Mutya Buena applies for rights to Sugababes name</font></span>

<span style="font-size:7.5pt;"><b><font face="Tahoma">Louise Cohen</font></b></span>

<span style="font-size:9pt;"><font face="Verdana">Mutya Buena has applied for ownership of the name Sugababes. The singer, who quit the band in 2005 to pursue a solo career, has reportedly applied to the European Trademarks Authority for permission.

If the application - put forward by trade mark and patent attorneys Kilburn and Strode - is successful, it will mean that Buena will be able to use the name freely on merchandise such as CDs, DVDs and books.

The question of who owns the name arose last year when the final original member of the Sugababes, Keisha Buchanan, left the band claiming that she was "forced out". At the time, Buena said that "the Sugababes have ended because there are no original people remaining. With none of the original members in there, it will be known as more of a brand name than for the singing."

The move comes shortly after the new lineup of Sugababes - now composed of reality TV contestant Jade Ewen, Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah - launched their first album, Sweet 7.

Range told BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat programme yesterday: "Our record company \[universal\] owns the name so there's no conversations about who owns the name."

All three of the original members - Buena, Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy - are named on the document, but Buena is named as the "sole applicant".

Kilburn and Strode said they were "hopeful" that the bid would be accepted within a few months.</font></span>

<span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><b><font face="Verdana">http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article7049471.ece</font></b></span></p>

Edited March 4, 201015 yr by Sylph

hah. I hope she wins it. The 'babes have become more than a bit of a joke since Mutya left rly.

Yesterday the Splendababes did an album launch concert for Sweet 7. I found it very telling that all the songs they sung were from the Muyta/Keisha/Heidi days, meaning two of them weren't around so it's basically karaoke. Why didn't they sing more of the singles from the Amelle days? I see why they would frustrate Mutya and Keisha. The new group is trying to trend off the old Sugababes glory days not their own achievements, which are few. It's even more odd watching the performances of old tracks because Heidi often had so few lines so you basically have two new girls with no connection to these songs butchering them.

I hope the original and real Sugababes can win the name back and return with a smashing new album. This is my favorite girl group and it's a shame what has happened. Now granted I do like a few of the songs on the Splendababes album, but it's very dated, cheap and throwaway. Just kinda party music, but inferior to the Keisha versions of the same tracks and no heart. Especially the ballads which used to be a Sugababes strong point.

They've been dead to me for a while, I hate to admit. I used to think they were brilliant (at least on album--never great live) but... Splendababes! HA!

Though I have to admit out fo the rival UK girlgroups (who have made next to no impact outside the US and initially both used primarily Xenomania productions) I'm much more into Girls Aloud--just love how unabashedly camp and pop they are, no pretense at R&B 'respectability' ore pretense of co writing their own tracks