[Matt]

Mutya Buena has won the legal battle of the rights to the name Sugababes, leaving the present version of the girlband without a name.

Buena quit the band in 2005 and her former bandmate Keisha Buchanan left in 2009, leaving the girlband without a single original member.

The singer then announced she would be pursuing legal action to win the rights to the name Sugababes and announced yesterday that she had succeeded.

She wrote on her Facebook page of the news: "I won the official name of the Sugababes now!!! I deserve this! I’m over the moon!". She is also listed as the owner of the name Sugababes on the official EU trademark website.

The decision not only means current members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen will potentially have to tour and record under a new name, but that Buena and original members Keisha Buchanan and Siobahn Donaghy will be able to reunite under the name Sugababes if they wish.

Source: http://www.nme.com/news/sugababes/58823

[Iceman]

Freedom eh?

[Maia]

[Joelle.]

[InOne]

Nice one Mutya

[Locke.]

They are ****e anyway they might aswell split up

[Novo]

Is this not a bit of a selfish thing to do? what is the reason she actually wants the rights to the name anyway?

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by Novo

Is this not a bit of a selfish thing to do? what is the reason she actually wants the rights to the name anyway?

I think she said somewhere it was because the 3 originals came up with the name and now the other 3 are just using it because its established.... I could be wrong though.

-waits for Greg to put me right-

[Jordan.]

pmsl brilliant!

[Ramsay]

Seeing as there is none of the originals left I can see why she did it

[Iceman]

However, according to The Sun journalist Tom Thorogood, Buena has "only won the rights to the Sugababes name if it is related to stationery, gift wrap or other paper merchandise".

Oh now it makes her look like a sap....

[Shaun]

Good on her.

[CharlieO]

Thats hilarious

[GypsyGoth]

I'm happy she won.

[Jords]

Petty.

[Saph]

LOL the Sugababes died when Mutya left anyway, she was the only good singer

[Mac Hiavellian]

You what!?

I might be seeing Sugababes next month. Hope this doesn't mean they split up or drop out. Wonder what their new name'll be anyway

[Stu]

Just add an 'r' .

[Firewire]

They'll call themselves the Sugabitches or something.

[Shaun]

-fingers crossed for the Saltybabes-

[Joelle.]

Originally Posted by Shaun

-fingers crossed for the Saltybabes-

[Marsh.]

I don't think this is fair to Heidi. Heidi is now the longest serving member of the group (or maybe joint with Keisha) and probably deserves the rights more than anyone. She replaced the first original member after about 1 single and has stayed and worked towards the groups name and reputation six years after Mutya decided she was too good.

Now her solo career flopped she decides she doesn't want them to be successful without her. Laughable.

They probably won't have to change their name but she just owns the rights and therefore gets a high percentage of profits anyway.

['Conor]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

I don't think this is fair to Heidi. Heidi is now the longest serving member of the group (or maybe joint with Keisha) and probably deserves the rights more than anyone. She replaced the first original member after about 1 single and has stayed and worked towards the groups name and reputation six years after Mutya decided she was too good.

Now her solo career flopped she decides she doesn't want them to be successful without her. Laughable.

They probably won't have to change their name but she just owns the rights and therefore gets a high percentage of profits anyway.

[Z]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

I don't think this is fair to Heidi. Heidi is now the longest serving member of the group (or maybe joint with Keisha) and probably deserves the rights more than anyone. She replaced the first original member after about 1 single and has stayed and worked towards the groups name and reputation six years after Mutya decided she was too good.

Now her solo career flopped she decides she doesn't want them to be successful without her. Laughable.

They probably won't have to change their name but she just owns the rights and therefore gets a high percentage of profits anyway.

Sure it's ****ty for Heidi but she should have spoken up about how she felt several years ago, before Mutya even left the band; if Keisha had been sacked and it had been Mutya and Heidi looking for a new member, and then Mutya had left after a while, Heidi could still have been in a credible band. She doesn't deserve the rights more than anyone. Siobhan and Mutya were friends, Mutya brought her friend Keisha along and a clever man with a business head stuck the three of them together as a group. All three are talented singers, but they are also three teenage girls, and after two years, Siobhan ended up not being able to take it anymore and left the band. Regardless of how long she's been in the band, Heidi was not there from the beginning, so public perception will always be that she doesn't have any real right to the name. Mutya didn't "decide she was too good", she had a baby and just grew up, she didn't want to be standing on stage singing about things like "'cause I'm cooler than the red dress" anymore. If you invented something, would you be happy seeing somebody else taking credit for it? For most people I imagine that would be a resounding no, so why is this any different? I'm pleased she's won. I like the new Sugababes song but I've been of the opinion that they should have changed their name right away for a long time. Clean break, new start, and perhaps people would take them a little bit more seriously if they did.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Zee

Sure it's ****ty for Heidi but she should have spoken up about how she felt several years ago, before Mutya even left the band; if Keisha had been sacked and it had been Mutya and Heidi looking for a new member, and then Mutya had left after a while, Heidi could still have been in a credible band. She doesn't deserve the rights more than anyone. Siobhan and Mutya were friends, Mutya brought her friend Keisha along and a clever man with a business head stuck the three of them together as a group. All three are talented singers, but they are also three teenage girls, and after two years, Siobhan ended up not being able to take it anymore and left the band. Regardless of how long she's been in the band, Heidi was not there from the beginning, so public perception will always be that she doesn't have any real right to the name. Mutya didn't "decide she was too good", she had a baby and just grew up, she didn't want to be standing on stage singing about things like "'cause I'm cooler than the red dress" anymore. If you invented something, would you be happy seeing somebody else taking credit for it? For most people I imagine that would be a resounding no, so why is this any different? I'm pleased she's won. I like the new Sugababes song but I've been of the opinion that they should have changed their name right away for a long time. Clean break, new start, and perhaps people would take them a little bit more seriously if they did.

It doesn't matter really. You can't believe they have more right just because they were there at the start. If Mutya gave a **** she wouldn't have left in the first place. As for Siobhan, can't really call her a member or a founder as she was there for about 5 minutes and moved on.

Heidi's been a part of the band for nearly 10 years (longest serving), as well as giving the "brand" all that time, worked to earn it the money it has. Siobhan wasn't there. Public perception would react to a picture of Heidi as a Sugababe, and a picture of Siobhan as "Who's that?".

So, when it comes to Heidi "taking credit" for something someone else "invented" doesn't ring true.

I agree Mutya should still own a percentage of the brand (as she probably already did anyway) but taking away any rights from Heidi is not in the slightest bit fair.

Sure it's ****ty for Heidi but she should have spoken up about how she felt several years ago, before Mutya even left the band; if Keisha had been sacked and it had been Mutya and Heidi looking for a new member, and then Mutya had left after a while, Heidi could still have been in a credible band.

I don't understand what you're saying here. Are you suggesting Keisha was the reason Mutya quit and therefore Heidi should have sided with Mutya and pushed Keisha out earlier "if she cared enough". It's nothing to do with their personal relationships but ownership of the brand.

The order in which Mutya and Keisha left the band doesn't change the situation.