For eight years, viewers of TF1 were able to follow the show Ushuaïa, the extreme magazinepresented by Nicolas Hulot. In addition to this program, the environmental activist, who faced justice, also presented Ushuaïa Naturefrom 1998 to 2012.
However, his contract with the channel ended some time later. And according to The Informedthe one who was also Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion of France, chose to recently attack the front page.
A contract not renewed, which does not suit Nicolas Hulot
Our colleagues, as pointed out Purepeoplerecall that in 1993, TF1 “grants the commercial exploitation of the brand to L'Oréal for deodorants and shower gels”. According to L'informé, Nicolas Hulot was never informed of this project.
“There was no precedent. There was no show whose title became a commercial brand. It was a bit like the TF1 method… At the time, it upset me a lot. It even gave rise to a rather unpleasant moment between Patrick Le Lay and me”said the host and activist in an interview.
Before continuing, in another interview: “I tried to oppose the exploitation of derivative products under this brand, because I had created an audiovisual universe which was not intended to become a commercial brand. But I had no arguments legal means to oppose it.“
Finally, a year later, The Informed indicates that the two parties reach an agreement. La Une must donate 25% of gross receipts to Nicolas Hulot. This allows him “to collect several hundred thousand euros per year, which end up in his personal company Eole Conseil. But, still according to our colleaguesTF1 would have chosen not to renew the contract last year.
A first victory for the environmental activist
The reason? The channel justified it “by explaining to him that the 1994 text interests the host in return for the use of the notoriety brought by Nicolas Hulot to the Ushuaïa brand”. The former host of the channel would then have warned TF1 that royalties paid his “past contribution to brand awareness“In fact, for him, the contract must indeed continue.”as long as L'Oréal's Ushuaïa products are commercially exploited“.
For TF1, the former minister would have no right to use the name. In fact, she accuses her former employee of trying d’”usurp TF1's property rights over the brand“. The commercial court, in the first judgment rendered, considers that “TF1 does not demonstrate how Nicolas Hulot’s company would attempt to usurp the notoriety or ownership of the brand.”
“The reasons detailed in the 2022 termination letter are of a completely different nature: length of contract, cessation of Ushuaïa broadcasts on TF1 since 2012, investments made by TF1 for the promotion of the brand, etc. In this termination letter, no no direct or indirect reference is made to the validity or ownership of the Ushuaïa brand.adds the judgment. The channel therefore appealed this decision according to information from The Informed.
