Nokia caught up in Brazil brand name row

HELSINKI: Nokia, the world's top mobile phone maker, said on Friday it was in a court battle in Brazil over its Ovi brand, which a Brazilian telecoms company called Ouvi claims is too similar to its name.

"They (Ouvi) had applied for an injunction, which would stop us from using the name (Ovi) in Brazil," Nokia's spokesman Mark Durrant told media. "We believe that there is no confusion between Ovi and Ouvi," he added.

Brazil's Ouvi is a company selling ringtones and SMS news. Nokia's Ovi is the brand name for its online services, offering games, videos and other applications for customers to buy and download on their mobile phones.

Neither Nokia's Ovi nor Ouvi have registered trademarks in Brazil but both have applied for one. Durrant said that a court in Sao Paolo was due to rule in the dispute and that Nokia was willing to negotiate an out-of-court settlement.