Equity

Magazine

Autumn 2005

Imposter sausages seen off by lawyers

When an Equity member spent £25,000 acquiring the name and act of a retiring children’s entertainer Steve Sausage he was astonished to find that almost immediately another children’s entertainer had set up a company under the name Steve Sausage Limited and was using that name in the Yellow Pages and on a website.

Stephen Whitear and his sons Graham and Jonathan never actually stated that they were Steve Sausage, but Equity solicitors Douglas-Mann and Co believed it to be a clear case of passing off. They fired off a strongly-worded letter to the Whitears demanding that they stop using the name, close down the website and change the company name. The Whitear’s solicitors immediately agreed to all the terms set out in the letter and stopped trading as Steve Sausage Limited, transferring all the boookings to the original act.

Elizabeth Smith of Douglas Mann and Company commented: “I am hopeful that we have seen the last of the imposter Steve Sausages.”

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• The President Writes
• Members' survey
• The future of television
• Arts Theatre could be pulled down
• Charity appeal goes into its third year
• Scotland's cultural philistinism
• National theatre of Scotland announces its launch strategy
• Government response to Select Committee “disappointing”
• ITV daytime repeats produce £3m
• Flying Music contract problem resolved
• From Snow White to Wicked Queen
• Northern Ireland initiative
• Agency regulations may be a paper tiger
• Equity training for deputies proves successful
• Mergers threaten future of TUC
• Imposter sausages seen off by lawyers
• News In Brief
• Fringe benefits
• Obituary
• National, Area and Specialist Committee election results
• Letters
• Branch Notes
• Discounts for members
• Special atttention