A CAR parts seller is being forced to hand over its website name after coming up against one of the world’s biggest motor manufacturers.

Newford Parts Centre, in Abbey Village, found itself on the end of a trans-Atlantic complaint from the Ford Motor Company over its use of the website, newfordparts.co.uk.

The American company said the firm had unfairly included its name, trading off its fame, history and reputation to boost its own business.

Now an expert at the Nominet internet domain name dispute resolution service has ordered that the Lancashire business hand over its web name to the car giant.

The independent expert, Carl Gardner, said it was ‘reasonable’ to infer that even Newford’s business name had been designed to incorporate the word ‘Ford’.

He said visitors to the site could be caused initial confusion, thinking that it was actually linked to Ford and not a completely different business.

“In my view, it is not fair for the respondent [Newford] to use the domain name in this way,” Mr Gardner said in his decision.

“The domain name ‘newfordparts.co.uk’ is not, in my view, fairly descriptive of a business selling both obsolete Ford parts in the strict sense, and pattern parts for use in vintage Ford cars.

“The inference that Newford’s business name is itself designed to incorporate Ford’s name slightly influences my feeling that the way Newford presents its business using the domain name is not completely fair.

“Newford appears, in the circumstances, to have used the domain name in a manner which has taken unfair advantage of, or has been unfairly detrimental to, Ford’s rights.” The firm’s owner Nick Horridge said he disagreed with the judgement.

He said: “I think it’s stupid. There’s absolutely no confusion whatsoever.

“It’s clear on the website that I’m not associated with them. I’m not making any money from their name.

“I’ve been using it for about 14 years and I’ve been trading for over 40 years.

“They think using this name benefits me from association, but it’s absolutely rubbish.”

Mr Gardner in his judgement said: “I find that Ford has rights in a name which is similar to the domain name and that the domain name, in the hands of Newford, is an abusive registration.

“The complaint is upheld. I direct that the domain name be transferred to Ford.”