‘We’re not going to back down’: tiny Dorset B&B stands up to Airbnb’s legal bid to ‘monopolise’ letters ‘bnb’
Three little letters - bnb-side’s name is a play on the local b-side arts festival, but Silicon Valley colossus sees threat to global brand In one corner is bnb-side, a six-room bed and breakfast on the Isle of Portland – a tiny wedge of limestone tied by a narrow ribbon of shingle to the Dorset coast – that was created to help secure the future of the rock’s much-loved arts festival, b-side. On…
Three little letters - "bnb" - are at the center of a dispute between bnb-side, a six-room bed and breakfast on the Isle of Portland, and Airbnb, the San Francisco-based booking giant. bnb-side, formed to support the area's popular arts festival b-side, claims the "bnb" in its name simply stands for "bed and breakfast." However, Airbnb argues the name threatens its global brand.
In May, Airbnb sent three legal letters demanding bnb-side cease its attempt to register the B&B using the name it had used since opening in 2024. Losing the legal battle could force bnb-side to replace signage, rewrite websites, and rebuild its reputation from scratch, all at a significant cost. This case has sparked outrage on the windswept island, with many locals concerned about the impact of Airbnb on their community.
Despite the intimidation, bnb-side remains steadfast, refusing to back down in their fight against Airbnb's legal bid to "monopolise" the term "bnb."
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
