A Dundee-born broadcaster has found himself in a trademark row with the makers of the American podcast sensation Serial.
Alexander Stewart, 33, created Serial Box a show which he said “paid homage” to the hit US podcast Serial and was threatened with a lawsuit by the American production over use of the letter on their logo.
Along with fellow presenter Simeon Courtie, Alexander decided to make a podcast that was based on the hit US drama, but had its own “unique” style.
He said: “We tried to do a podcast that was like Serial, and tried very hard not to take the mick.
“We posted the episode on Sunday and within an hour of it going up Serial’s community editor, Kristen Taylor, had emailed telling us to change the image as it was too similar to their one.
“We cited nine other parody podcasts that were similar to them. We told them ‘you can’t possibly trademark the letter ‘s’.’
“It turns out that they could and they had.”
The duo decided to change the logo and chose a backwards question mark that looks similar to the S of the Serial logo.
They are yet to hear back whether or not the American giants have any issue with this, and received a solitary “thanks” in response to changing the logo from their original idea.
Alexander said his show is based on the first series of the smash-hit podcast and, unlike the original American show, is “entirely fictional”.
Serial has enjoyed international success and been credited with sparking new interest in the podcast format.
The first series focusing on the murder conviction of college student Adnan Syed was the quickest show to ever be downloaded five million times, and sat at the top of the iTunes chart for over three months.
Alexander Stewart is currently a broadcaster for the British Forces Broadcasting Service and although he now lives in Buckinghamshire, has always considered himself Dundonian.