Sugababes deny Mutya Buena name row

Sugababes deny Mutya Buena name row
Page last updated at 8:43 GMT, Thursday, 4 March 2010
Sugababes were formed in 1998 with six UK number one singles so far

The current members of Sugababes say there is no row over who owns the name of their group.

Mutya Buena, who was a founder member of the group but left in 2005, has applied for ownership of the Sugababes' brand.

That would mean she would be able to put the name on things like CDs, DVDs and books.

But, speaking at the launch of Sugababes' new album Sweet 7 on Wednesday night, Heidi Range said she wasn't expecting it to come to anything.

"Our record company own the name Sugababes," she said. "So there's no conversions about who owns the name.

"I signed to Universal Records eight-and-a-half years ago with Mutya and Keisha as the Sugababes, so we've still got the name."

Mutya Buena, 24, has asked the European Trademarks Authority to rule on her case but a decision isn't expected for months.

But 26-year-old Heidi Range and former British Eurovision contestant Jade Ewen, 22, say they don't want to get caught up in it.

Heidi said: "I don't know whether it's just the press kicking up a bit of a fuss but nothing that we're aware of.

"It would be nice for it to be a bit more positive but it's to be expected," Jade added. "We can't even blame anybody for feeling the way they do."

The group signed to Jay-Z's label Roc Nation last April and were due to release their seventh studio album in November.

But after the departure of founding member Keisha Buchanan, 25, her vocals were re-recorded by Jade Ewen.