Supreme Court Refuses Shorts Google Trademark Appeal

The UK Supreme Court has refused permission to appeal in a long-running trademark dispute between Shorts International Ltd and Google LLC. On 28 September 2026 the Court concluded that the application raised no arguable point of law, leaving intact the Court of Appeal’s May 2026 ruling. That decision upheld the High Court’s earlier finding that Google’s use of “Shorts” for its YouTube short-form video service did not infringe Shorts International’s registered marks. The claimant had argued infringement under section 10(2) of the Trade Marks Act 1994, while Google maintained that the term was descriptive of short audiovisual content. The Supreme Court’s refusal brings the litigation to a close.

For small-business owners, register distinctive marks early and monitor similar uses in your sector to protect against descriptive challenges.