A Birmingham firm is looking to the stars after taking on the Trademark Registry to secure the use of a name and logo.

With help from Business Link the company managed to secure the use of the word "Saiph" for its new voicerecording product - even though the name was already in use by a Swedish pharmaceutical giant.

Voice & Data Recording Solutions (VRS), based in Acocks Green, already marketed a product called Orion and wanted to use the word Saiph, the name of part of the star constellation, to tie everything together in the same theme.

So it asked Business Link, part of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to help with the application.

The Saiph recorder makes a copy of incoming and outgoing office telephone calls - designed as a cost effective solution for the smaller application, particularly in more modest call centres and in workplaces where records need to be kept of important conversations.

By linking with a PC it provides more than 8,500 hours of storage and allows the users easy access to the recordings at the click of mouse.

However, the word Saiph is also the name of both an undertaker's software application and is used by a Swedish pharmaceutical company.

While there was obviously no problem with a clash of business activity, the Trademarks Registry still rejected the application.

Paul Marshall, accounts manager at VRS, said: " Normally, when the trademark registry says someone else is already using the same name, that is enough to put people off. But we knew that we had nothing in common with either company so we continued to work with Business Link to appeal against the decision.

"Business Link helped with the paperwork and in dealing with the Swedish firm who consented to us using the name.

"However, we still had to get everything in writing and signed."

Richard Stannard, an adviser at Business Link, said: "This is one of the first times where we have got involved in a trademark problems.

"It can be incredibly daunting when the Trademark Registry says 'no' but we knew that once they found out what VRS did and that they weren't in competition with either company there wouldn't be a problem.

"It was just having the confidence to stand up to them and then be patient as we worked with the other companies to obtain their consent.

"It can also be an expensive process, maybe even as much as £5,000. But we were able to do it at no cost to the client."

Mr Marshall added: "We are now able to use the name and the logo, which is made up from the shape of the Orion constellation, for ten years and can renew it after that."