Businessman Chris Cooper thought the multi-billion dollar toystore was playing a game when it demanded he changed his company's name.

But the giant American group Toys "R" Us wasn't joking with the company. It was threatening legal action unless Inkjets-R-us changed its name.

Chris, owner of the business, based at Mantra House, in South Street, said he thought it was a joke when he received a "cease and desist" letter.

Mr Cooper said: "We are a relatively quiet business selling inkjet cartridges and printer related consumerables. We have steady work and have been operating like this quite happily for three years.

"Then out of the blue, I was contacted by lawyers saying they were representing Geoffrey, which owns Toys "R" Us

"I was asked to sign a declaration saying I would change the company name and domain name of our web site -- which is www.inkjets-r-us.co.uk They said I had three months to change it. I genuinely found it laughable and thought it was a joke."

Mr Cooper made some phone calls to the UK head office of Toys "R" Us, the legal firm representing them -- Denton, Wilde and Sapt -- as well as Toys "R" Us, in New York.

He soon realised that the letters were serious, with the firm stating that Inkjets-R-us infringed on the trademark of Toys "R" Us

Toys "R" Us, which owns several "R" Us trademarks, also owns Internet domain names such as Kidsrus.com, Boysrus.com, and Dollsrus.com.

Because Toys "R" Us also sells some computer software, it believes that customers could believe that Inkjets-R-Us is owned, licensed, sponsored, or in some way connected to them. Toys "R" Us is also concerned that when people look for Toys "R" Us on Internet search engines, they will get inkjets-r-us.co.uk instead.

The letter warned Mr Cooper that Toys "R" Us has not only sued numerous parties over the use of the "R" Us construction but that it has also won every case. Toys "R" Us is an $11 billion company with 1,600 stores worldwide.

Mr Cooper said: "I was told by Toys "R" Us, in New York, that they had won 48 court cases in America for the same sort of thing. We have no choice but to change our name really. It would seem they employ legal staff to trawl through the Internet to find cases like this.

"They can basically afford fancy barristers and can steam-roller over small businesses like ours who don't have the financial back up.

"We are going to change our name to AJB Inkjets. It is madness though -- there was no issue when we initially registered the R-Us name. Toys "R" Us does sell some computer-related products but people are hardly going to confuse the two companies. It's ludicrous.

"I just think people ought to know that a 'sweet' toy company like this is hamfisted and is using bully boy tactics."

Mr Cooper last heard from the company on July 29 and is waiting to see how things progress. The Keighley News contacted Toys "R" Us in the UK and America but a promised statement failed to arrive by the deadline.