News Release 5 July, 2000:
Healing Herbs Ltd vs. Bach Flower Remedies Ltd

Victory in the House of Lords marked the end of a five year battle for a small English company yesterday. Healing Herbs Ltd, a 12 strong band of dedicated workers in the Herefordshire hills won the right to call their products Bach Flower Remedies (in the U.K.) against the might of A. Nelsons Ltd, the conglomerate which has operated a near monopoly in this important sector of complementary therapy market.

The Law Lords upheld earlier judgements in the High Court and the Appeal Court (in London) that descriptive terms should not be allowed to operate as trade marks. Attempts had been made, using this generic term 'Bach', to register trade marks that gave an effective monopoly to their owners. These trade marks must now be removed from the Trade Marks Registry in compliance with the court order made in May 1998.

On Tuesday July 4th three Law Lords dismissed a petition by Nelsons for the case to be heard once more despite the earlier defeats in the High Court (one judge) and the Appeal Court (three judges). So that makes it 7-0.

"This has finally laid to rest the issue of Bach as a trade mark" said Healing Herbs director Julian Barnard. "It is clear now that at last anyone can produce the remedies, write, teach and work with them, as Dr Bach desired. It's the end of a marathon David and Goliath battle and we hope that everyone will now be free from the constant bully boy threats of litigation."