After Spending Thousands On Research, Clarkson Is Still Struggling To Name His New Show

Turns out that after many months of brainstorming, Clarkson, Hammond and May are still no closer to naming their new show. Trademark law clearly doesn't have a sense of humour...
After Spending Thousands On Research, Clarkson Is Still Struggling To Name His New Show

It’s been nine months since Clarkson and co signed a deal with Amazon Prime, and they’re still no closer to coming up with a name for their new show. According to Clarkson, the team has spent thousands of pounds on research, only to have their suggestions ruled out by trademark lawyers.

Writing in his column for the Sunday Times, he said:

“I spend at least six hours a day in my office - which is insured and smoke-free and resplendent with potted plants - sucking creatively on a corporate Biro as I wait for the daily 3pm ‘Anything yet?’ phone call from Amazon in Los Angeles.

Every morning, I’d make a £7000 call to the lawyer with an idea, and every afternoon I’d get a £7000 reply saying the name was already in use by someone in New Zealand or France or Ukraine. Prime Torque. Autonation. Skid Mark. Everything was a no-no.”

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A number of potential names have been devised by the trio with varying degrees of seriousness, including Auto-mates, Small Puddle of Excellence and Tripod. For a while we were pretty sure that Gear Knobs would be given the go ahead, after discovering that it was trademark registered by Clarkson’s law firm late last year. Unfortunately, it turns out that the situation is a little trickier than it first appeared:

“We thought it [Gear Knobs] was amusing and hurriedly we put in another £7,000 call to the lawyer. She said the trademark was available, but it would be an unwise idea, owing to the laws surrounding intellectual property.

In short, the BBC not only owns the rights to the Stig and the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car and the Cool Wall, but also to any name that is remotely similar to Top Gear.

We tried explaining there’s a show called Fifth Gear that doesn’t belong to the BBC but it was no good. Arguing with a lawyer costs more money than we had, so we hurriedly put the phone down and went back to the drawing board.

After Spending Thousands On Research, Clarkson Is Still Struggling To Name His New Show

We need a name that isn’t in use by any business anywhere in the world and doesn’t even sound or look like any name that’s in use by any business anywhere in the world.

And it can’t even be a minor play on the words Top or Gear. Oh, and it had to be a name that was liked by me, our producer, Hammond, Eeyore and a billionaire in Seattle.”

Sounds like a tricky situation, but perhaps we could help? What do you think the new show should be called? Let us know in the comments below.

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Comments

Anonymous

House of cars or Overdrive.

04/25/2016 - 10:17 |
1 | 1
Anonymous

Brace your selves for the most amazing unnamed car show ever existed on planet earth!

04/25/2016 - 10:18 |
128 | 1
Dat muscle guy (Sam Stone)(Camaro Squad)(Die augen leader)(E

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

To the top you go!

04/25/2016 - 10:30 |
4 | 9
Legendary

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Having TV show names is so cliché. It should just be named “The Show”
“Tonight, I try to get into a comedy club picture of new Top gear office using my celebrity status.
James pays tribute to a music icon with a piano and motorcycles.
Richard takes part in a triathlon involving a jet ski, motorcycle, and a rally car…
So welcome everyone (clarkson pause) to The Show!

04/25/2016 - 12:06 |
37 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Still Untitled belongs to Tested.com

04/25/2016 - 13:28 |
1 | 1
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

It’s actually
Currently
UNnamed
TV
Show
Now notice what the capitals spell out (except the V in TV).

04/25/2016 - 13:41 |
14 | 3
Dominik Maslyk (Euro & JDM Addict) (Autistic boi)

Turbo Throttle

04/25/2016 - 10:22 |
1 | 1
Xpect

Actually, Sell (or give) the rights to “CarThrottle” to them, but ONLY for the use of their show, as in ONLY for use in an Amazon Prime Video Show, to be exact. That would be possible, would secure CarThrottle the rights to their Youtube Channel and their merchandise while giving a HUGE boost in Visitors to the site. When specified really exactly for what the name may be used and for what not, it could be an Win-Win for both sides.
Although I think Amazon wouldn’t agree to that, as it would prohibit them from making money with merchandise of their show and would, if not outlined otherwise in some way, prohibit one of the sides from selling DVDs and similar physical Video Media.

It is possible, but a contract for that has to be REALLY specific in every detail.

04/25/2016 - 10:23 |
175 | 0
Swizzle007

In reply to by Xpect

Thats a great idea

04/25/2016 - 10:36 |
1 | 1
Anonymous

In reply to by Xpect

I was thinking exactly that while reading the article

04/25/2016 - 12:13 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Xpect

The only problem would be having a dedicated website, which is already taken.

04/25/2016 - 16:16 |
0 | 0
Ranbir Singh

In reply to by Xpect

This was my first thought as well. But it will take some convincing to make them think that their show should be associated that closely with this website. Not only because of the profit limits you mention, but also from an image standpoint.

And obviously, any deal would be negotiated by lawyers, and a company like Amazon probably has better lawyers than CT and would for sure get themselves the better end of the deal.

04/25/2016 - 18:29 |
2 | 0
kyl_er34

Short, fat and slow.

Credit to YouTube comment.

04/25/2016 - 10:23 |
65 | 1
Dat muscle guy (Sam Stone)(Camaro Squad)(Die augen leader)(E

They should call it the knobheads

04/25/2016 - 10:25 |
2 | 1
Muaz Yusof

gear-knob-heads.

04/25/2016 - 10:25 |
0 | 0

Cant have Gear in the name

04/25/2016 - 10:35 |
0 | 0

or just name it “random car show”

04/25/2016 - 10:41 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

i liked the idea: “ Unnamed car show”

04/25/2016 - 10:27 |
43 | 0
Stegosaurus

What about ‘CarThrottle’?

Oh wait

04/25/2016 - 10:29 |
6 | 0
Anonymous

Is it specifically just his show? I coulda swore there were two other guys :p

04/25/2016 - 10:29 |
1 | 1