A six-room bed and breakfast on the Isle of Portland is facing a legal challenge from Airbnb over its use of the letters 'bnb' in its name. bnb-side, stylised in lower case and created by the non-profit b-side arts festival, applied in February 2026 to register its name and logo as a trademark with the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
Airbnb later filed a formal opposition to the application. The dispute centres on whether the short form 'bnb', which bnb-side says is simply shorthand for 'bed and breakfast', can be used by a small hospitality business without infringing Airbnb's trademark rights.
