Viral jacket potato brand spudbros has been caught after being accused of ‘bullying’ by a small business owner over the name.
Duo based on the destruction, Jacob and Harley Nelson, who have the social feelings of communicating with the potatoes of the tram and are more suspected in London and Islam, Islam, the owner of the father of the pud.
Islam, 27, opened his stand last month, calling himself the Viral Potato Potato. But he says he has since been contacted by Spudbros’ legal team, who claim the name infringes their trademark.
“After months of graft – long days, long nights – we are now being threatened with legal action from spudbros because of the use of our name,” Islam wrote on social media. “We poured our heart and soul into this. It’s conceivable that we might lose it because a big company wants to throw its weight around.”
A PortSmouth business owner has told fans he will be changing his name after the controversy took a mental and emotional toll. “It’s really hard,” he said in Tiktok Video watching many times. “We’re a really small business – I’m born and bred in Pompey – and this was local people’s property. It’s disappointing.”
Supporters on the Internet are rushing to the defense of Islam, accusing the spudbros of “organizational exploitation” and calling on the brothers to drop the issue.
Comments on TIKTK’s recent Tiktok post included: “Stop exploiting spud dad – there’s enough business for everyone.”
“It’s amazing that it passed behind the store 260 kilometers away from Spud’s father!”
The backlash led the spudbros to issue a public statement on Instagram, insisting they are not stopping anyone.
“There’s a rumor that we’ve already adopted a small business called Spud’s father. We’re not living alone. Not now.
He said the company moved to spud tater after launching a dish of the same name – where he paid for it – which became their best seller.
“As we grow, we build a dealership, expand franchises and have discussions with major retailers,” he said. “We mishandled the name in June, and we were approved before any other business applied. Our legal team was simply responding to a notice from the Intellectual Property Office – it’s not a lawsuit.”
Nelson added that her family had received online threats since the story went viral, including her young daughter, and urged fans to stop the “hate”.
“We don’t want anyone to feel attacked. That’s not who we are,” he said. “We love small businesses – we were one. There’s room for everyone to succeed.”
Intellectual property attorney Stephanie Davies, Senior Associate at Aners & Rogers, said the controversy highlights a common startup pitfall.
“It’s often wrongly assumed that only big companies need to sell their names,” says Davies. “Small businesses can build a following quickly, and if they don’t secure registration early, they risk infringing someone else’s rights – or losing their brand identity.”
With valid local registration, he added, spudbros can have legal status, and the spud’s father can be forced to do so again.
“Branding should always be done before starting,” says Davies. “It’s more painful than a rebrand when the business is up and running.”
The controversy marks the latest twist in the fast-growing world of Viral Potato Abevers.
The success of Nelson Brothers has been similar to that of Ben Newman, better known as Spud Man, Jacket Potato Stall has 4.2 million Tiktok followers and has accelerated Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
New competitors, including Spud Hut, Spud Life, and Spud Factory, have since popped up across the country, each hoping to carve out a piece of the viral food trend.
For now, the spud dad says it will continue to trade – but under a new name.
