A legal challenge has meant that the successful ‘Piping Hot Forres’ tag can no longer be used as the umbrella title for the European Pipe Band Championships held so successfully over the past two years in the Highland town. The following press release regarding the change was received today: ‘Piping Hot Forres’ is changing its name. Ahead of the next event to be held in Grant Park, Forres, on Saturday 27 June, 2015, the European Pipe Band Championships is being renamed ‘Piping At Forres’ with the logo (left) Piping@Forres. The new website: www.pipingatforres.com is now active and will have all the details of the 2015 championships including how to buy tickets, apply to be a stallholder or become a sponsor.
‘Forres Events Ltd has voluntarily opted to make the change after a recent ruling prevented them from registering PIPING HOT FORRES as a trademark. An objection had been raised by the owner of a trademark which includes the words ‘piping’ and ‘ hot’. The individual is not involved in bagpipes or in piping and legal advice was that it would be hard to see how the objector’s trademark could be confused with either Forres or piping. However, Forres Events Limited is a not-for-profit enterprise, and the directors have decided to change the title to avoid any potentially costly legal action.
‘Whilst the championships themselves are run by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association – www.rspba.org – the event in Forres is run by Forres Events Ltd, a small group of Forres businessmen and women. Each year the event attracts crowds of up to 18,000 making it the biggest single day ticketed event in Moray.
‘The championships in 2014 attracted 119 bands, including 11 grade 1 bands and the current World Champions, played in Grant Park in four arenas, offering an opportunity to see world class piping in Moray. It has scored 9.2 out of a possible 10 for overall enjoyment in a visitor survey for the second year running.
‘Forres Events Ltd has received many favourable comments such as: ‘Well done, Forres!!! This has to be the best major championship setting. An excellent day with some outstanding results’, while one visitor said that the most enjoyable thing was ‘The very welcome reception from the organisers and the townspeople’.
‘The 2015 event will be held on Saturday 27 June. Ian Widdowson, Chairman of Forres Events Ltd, said: ‘We have worked hard to promote the brand ‘Piping Hot Forres’ to refer to the European Pipe Band Championships, however, we are a not-for–profit organisation set up to provide an event for the people of Forres, to bring people to the town, and to provide an economic boost estimated now at over a million pounds to the area. Whilst we think we have a case we could win, we do not have the time or funds available to take on a legal case and have therefore opted to change the name of the event.
‘So is Piping Hot Forres not ‘hot’ any more, you ask? Well, no, it’s actually become rather ‘cool’! #pipingatforres.’