The previously profitable relationship between ACT and Victor Technologies has degenerated into a legal tussle over who owns the rights to the Sirius name.

Victor has applied to the courts to have the ownership of the Sirius trademark transferred to itself and for ACT to be prevented from using the Sirius name except for Victor products.

ACT has filed a counter action preventing Victor from using the Sirius trademark.

ACT acquired the rights to the Sirius name from ICL and used it for the 16-bit micro that it imported from Victor in the US. Elsewhere in the world the machine was known as the Victor 9000.

It has an exclusive distribution agreement for the UK which expired on December 31. With ACT now promoting the Apricot in preference to the Sirius, sales had slumped to around 100 a month. Victor, newly rescued from bankruptcy, is clearly keen to revive sales in the UK and announced last month that it was to take over distribution of the machine itself.

And therein lies the problem. Because the micro is known as the Sirius in the UK there are clear advantages in retaining the use of the name. For its part, ACT is not willing to pass on for free a trademark that it has invested a lot of time and effort in promoting.

As PCN went to press the issue had not been resolved. Both companies say that matters are in the hands of their legal advisors. It looks, though, that an out-of-court settlement may be in the offing, saving both sides from the expense and embarassment of an unseemly courtroom battle.