Bear Grylls in 'Bear Knife' Legal Dispute

A small British business has turned to Twitter for help after lawyers representing TV adventurer Bear Grylls asked the company to change its name to avoid a legal dispute.

Dorset-based Bear Blades, which manufactures hand-crafted knives for outdoor pursuits, appealed directly to Bear Grylls after being contacted by lawyers representing a company linked to the TV adventurer, asked them to remove the word "bear" from its name, logo and website.

In a letter law firm Carpmaels & Ransford said its client Bear Grylls Ventures was "very concerned" about Bear Blades' application to register its logo: "Bear Blades. Steel. Strength. Utility."

The firm wrote that the logo was "very similar" to its client's "Bear" mark and would "create a likelihood of confusion among consumers".

Owen Senior, who set up Bear Blades in 2012 in Swanage Dorset – the same country Bear HGrylls was born – said he did not have the "inclination or energy" to fight "faceless" lawyers.

Mr Senior said: "We're trying to build a small business – it's as much a hobby as it is a business – then someone completely faceless comes along and demands we change our name.

"He's [Grylls] meant to be Chief Scout and encourage outdoor activities. We'll now look to rebrand because we don't have the energy or inclination to fight it."

The Twitter appeal appears to have had some effect, as Bear Grylls replied to say he had not been aware of the dispute. He apologised and vowed to "sort this as best we can".

It's not yet clear if Bear Blades will be forced to re-brand however, but Senior has encouraged Bear Grylls to #SupportBritishBusiness and #DoTheRightThing.