The company is based in Liverpool city centre and provides staff for partiesDan Haygarth Liverpool Daily Post Editor and Regeneration Reporter
00:01, 06 Oct 2025
Hunky Butler Service is a Liverpool-based business that provides ‘buff butlers’ for parties(Image: Hunky Butler Service)
A Liverpool business which provides “buff butlers” for parties says it faces an “unfair” legal battle with another company over a term it has used to describe its staff. Hunky Butler Service was founded in 2014 and operates nationally but is based at offices on Renshaw Street in Liverpool city centre.
Its “buff butlers”, dressed in no more than bow ties and aprons covering their modesty, provide entertainment for events such as hen parties, life-drawing classes and cocktail classes. However, a Hunky Butler Service spokesperson told the ECHO the company has been hit with a potential claim over trademark infringement for its prior use of the term “butlers in the buff”.
The business claims this is a term used widely to describe those working in the industry. However, a national company called Butlers in the Buff says it has trademark rights and disputes the idea that it has acted unfairly, telling the ECHO: “We are obliged to protect our intellectual property and prevent confusion in the marketplace.”
Regarding its stance, a Hunky Butler Service spokesperson told the ECHO: “It started off last year and it was initiated by another company who used a trademark, which we and another company believe is not a trademark which can be held. It’s something a trademark shouldn’t be held for – not for those purposes.
“The term ‘butler in the buff’ is a widely used term by a number of individuals. It’s used across lots of different media sources, not referring to the specific company that is called this, but generically for the occupation, which is a ‘butler in the buff’. That’s what our stance is.
“The company is called Butlers in the Buff, who are nationwide. They’ve brought a trademark infringement against us. There’s another company that they had an actual legal battle with; they’ve been to court and it’s about to go to court again.
“We haven’t gone to court yet. We’ve taken all of the (uses of the) term ‘butlers in the buff’ off the website.
“We do use terms like ‘a butler that’s in the buff’ on the website, because there’s no trademark infringement there. But they’re still coming after us and saying that’s not allowed, but that’s not been proven in a court of law yet.”
The spokesperson said not being able to use the phrase “butlers in the buff” on the company’s website impacts its marketing and the number of people it can reach online. The business’ stance is that it’s an industry-standard term and shouldn’t be trademarked.
They added: “It (‘butlers in the buff’) is the service that we offer. We’ve changed a lot of the wordings to ‘buff butler’, but one impact of this is that it’s a widely searched term.
“Customers are trying to find this service – a butler in the buff – and if we haven’t got this on our website, it’s not going to show up.
“It’s frustrating. They have got a trademark but we don’t believe it’s enough grounds for us not to use it for descriptive purposes.
“We’re not saying we’re that company; we’ve used all our own branding, we’ve got our own logo, we’re based in Liverpool, and we’re using all of our own pictures.
“It’s all from business we’ve conducted; we’re not stealing any of their content. It feels really unfair.”
In response, a Butlers in the Buff spokesperson told the ECHO: “Butlers in the Buff is the original and official provider of semi-naked butler entertainment, trading for more than 20 years with a registered UK trademark. Like any established brand, we are obliged to protect our intellectual property and prevent confusion in the marketplace.
“Our rights have already been upheld in the courts, where a judge granted an order against another competitor for passing off – specifically for using identical or similar wording that created customer confusion.
“This is an ongoing legal matter, so we are unable to comment on specifics. However, we strongly dispute any suggestion that our actions are unfair. Our priority is to protect our brand, our staff, and our customers.”