Universal Studios has applied to trademark its name in the UK as it plans a new theme park south of Bedford.
The US-based entertainment giant’s proposed UK theme park was confirmed in December 2023 after Universal bought a 476-acre parcel of land in Bedfordshire.
Universal’s application to trademark its name in the UK was logged with the Intellectual Property Office on 6 February.
Universal Studios has applied for a UK trademark in relation to advertising services; hotels, restaurants, bar and cafe services; and amusement park, theme park and water park services.
In addition, the application covers “entertainment services” and the “presentation of live show performances”. It also covers arcade services and interactive play areas for children and adults.
Other services covered in the application include guided tours of “motion picture and television production facilities”, escape room attractions, food festivals, and live entertainment and street performances.
Via the BBC, a spokesperson for Universal said: “We continue to evaluate the potential project and are engaged in productive discussions with the UK government.”
Last month, tourism minister Chris Bryant said the UK government’s negotiations with Universal Destinations & Experiences for a UK theme park are “going well”.
Negotiations for Universal UK “going well”
Discussing the theme park in the House of Commons in January, Bryant said he “cannot enter into the precise details of the negotiations, but they are going well, and I am hopeful that this will be absolutely transformational for the British tourism industry if we manage to pull it off”.
Universal’s upcoming site could generate nearly £50 billion for the UK economy during construction and the first 20 years of operations, according to an economic impact analysis commissioned by Universal Destinations & Experiences.
Page Thompson, president of new ventures at Universal Destinations & Experiences, said last summer: “A world-class theme park and resort from Universal has the potential to generate billions in economic benefit for the UK, by creating thousands of high-quality jobs and attracting millions of new visitors to the country.”
Images courtesy of Universal
