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Renovation company says TV show name puts brand in shambles

Posted On: Dec. 14, 2022 1:06 PM CST

ugly houses

It’s not often you see people squabbling over ugly houses.

Dallas-based HomeVestors of America Inc., owner of the “We Buy Ugly Houses” company, on Monday filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. to protect its intellectual property rights in its “The Ugliest House Of The Year” contest and trademark.

According to a statement by HomeVestors, Warner Bros.’s HGTV network this year premiered its “Ugliest House in America” television show, which mocks owners and their homes for odd design choices, often labeling the homes as “heinous” or “grotesque.”

“Most of the show centers around little more than making fun of homes and home design,” HomeVestors said, adding that the “nature of this television show does not align with HomeVestors’ values or brand identity” and could cause brand confusion.

“While confusingly similar in name, the HGTV show is vastly different from the HomeVestors’ contest, which features homes its franchisees have purchased and then showcases one dramatic home makeover as the winner,” HomeVestors said, adding that despite repeated requests for Warner Bros. to discontinue inferences to ugly houses, “HomeVestors was forced to file suit to stop Warner Bros. Discovery from continuing to confuse the public and harm the goodwill associated with HomeVestors’ brand.”