DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HomeVestors of America, Inc., America’s number one homebuyer and the “We Buy Ugly Houses®” company, today filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. to protect its intellectual property rights in HomeVestors’ The Ugliest House Of The Year® mark.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.’s HGTV network premiered its “Ugliest House in America” television show. The show mocks owners and their homes for odd design choices, often labeling the homes as “heinous” or “grotesque.” Most of the shows center around little more than making fun of homes and home design. The nature of this television show does not align with HomeVestors’ values or brand identity. HomeVestors is a franchise business with over 1,100 franchisees operating local businesses who take pride in their communities and strive to provide better outcomes for sellers and homebuyers alike.
The HGTV show treats homeowners in a manner not reflective of how HomeVestors franchisees interact with customers, yet the show’s name is nearly identical to HomeVestors’ annual contest for “The Ugliest House of The Year.” 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 has spent over 25 years building a brand and identity associated with helping homeowners out of ugly situations using its We Buy Ugly Houses family of marks. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.’s show on its HGTV network—“Ugliest House In America”— trades off HomeVestors’ trademarks by using a confusingly similar name for a home renovation contest. Because HGTV refused to respect HomeVestors’ trademark rights, despite repeated requests to do so, 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.
About HomeVestors of America, Inc.
Dallas-based HomeVestors of America, Inc. is the largest professional house buying franchise in the U.S. with more than 125,000 houses bought since 1996. HomeVestors recruits, trains and supports its more than 1,100 independently owned and operated HomeVestors® franchisees that specialize in building businesses based on buying, rehabbing, selling, and holding residential properties. Known as the "We Buy Ugly Houses®" company, HomeVestors strives to make a positive impact in each of its 176 markets.
The company ranked on the 2021 Inc. 5000, has appeared 11 times on the prestigious Franchise Business Review's "Top Franchises,” and nine times on the annual Dallas 100. HomeVestors has also been regularly recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, which most recently ranked it 16th “Top Growth Franchise,” named it as one of the top 200 franchises of 2020, and placed it at number 36 on its annual Franchise 500. For more information, visit www.HomeVestors.com.
