A local pet business has come under fire for the name of their company, Boss Pets, from the global fashion brand HUGO BOSS.
Ben McDonald, from Bootle, set up his pet care company in February, with the aim of selling top quality wellness products for pets across the country.
To the surprise of McDonald, he received a letter from HUGO BOSS in mid-June, explaining that they believe the name of his company is too similar to the fashion retailer giant, and that there is a clash in trademark applications – so they want him to change the name, dropping the use of ‘boss’. “Boss” is a word widely used in the Merseyside area as a synonym for great.
In the letter addressed to Boss Pets and McDonald, HUGO BOSS outline their reasonings as to why they believe the local business should change their name:
“We are concerned by any use by a third party of any mark containing the term BOSS or any variation thereof, especially when it appears in a format or style that is similar to the BOSS Marks.
“Such use would be likely to confuse and mislead the consuming public as to the source and origin of such third party’s goods and services, would falsely suggest a connection with HUGO BOSS, and would dilute the distinctiveness of our BOSS Marks.”
Legal representative Francis McEntegart for Boss Pets told MNL: “We have advised the client that they do not have to comply with the requests from HB and we will defend any opposition to our client’s trademark application.”
HUGO BOSS told MNL: “As an international fashion company, we need to – like any other corporation – take measures to protect our existing trademark rights. These measures apply to both of our brands, BOSS and HUGO.
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“The business affected here has already been operating under the name Boss Pets since early 2024 to our knowledge but only filed the registration for the trademark in June 2025. When we became aware of the registration, we approached the business owner as the intended registration represents an overlap with our trademarks.
“We are aware that the English word ‘boss’ is one that is commonly used. Nevertheless, it’s our responsibility to monitor and protect our brand rights globally and address unclear cases where needed.”
