Licensing of defunct railway branding?

[Ih8earlies]

Does anyone know if there is an easy way to track down the copyright/licensing owner of defunct railway brands?

For example if I wanted to discuss obtaining the right to make and sell merchandise with GNER or EWS branding upon them for example.

 

[pdeaves]

EWS should be easy(ish!) as it is exactly the same company as today's DB Cargo. Long-dead passenger franchises may be harder especially if the parent company has disappeared. I would say the first port of call for, say, Wessex Trains would be National Express (that used to run the franchise) - go to the registered address or head office, not a local office! GNER was a Sea Containers company but I think S.C. is no more.

 

[jmh59]

Look for trademarks too - see e.g. https://www.gov.uk/search-for-trademark - logos and such are likely to be trademarks. the trademark register is also another way to find the possible owner of dead marks.

Taking GNER, it seems dead: https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/Results/1/UK0002149002A

Then hit Companies House for leads.