Jump to content

His Master's Voice

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the entertainment trademark. For the British record label, see His Master's Voice (British record label). For the entertainment retailer, see HMV. For other uses, see His Master's Voice (disambiguation).

His Master's Voice
Owner
  • Talisman Brands, Inc. (United States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Indonesia, South Korea and Uruguay)
  • Hilco Capital (United Kingdom, Australia, Brunei, European Union, Iceland, Israel, Kenya, Namibia, Norway, Switzerland, Sudan and New Zealand)
  • JVCKenwood/Victor Entertainment (Japan)
  • HMV Brand Pte Ltd. (Singapore, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand)
  • Palm Green Capital Limited (Albania, Bahrain, Estonia, India, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Oman, Serbia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Ukraine)

His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone.[1] Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the symbol has been used worldwide for consumer electronics, record labels, and entertainment retailers.[2][3]

The His Master's Voice symbol was used on many record discs from 1909 onwards, such as this 1928 Smilin' Jack Smith release from The Gramophone Company in the United Kingdom.

History

[edit]

The Gramophone Company / EMI Records / HMV (United Kingdom)

[edit]

In early 1899, Francis Barraud applied for copyright of his original 1989 painting using the descriptive working title Dog looking at and listening to a Phonograph. He was unable to sell the work to any cylinder phonograph company.[citation needed] The painting had been originally offered to James Hough, manager of Edison Bell in London, but he declined, saying "dogs don't listen to phonographs".[citation needed]

William Barry Owen, the American founder of the Gramophone Company in England, offered to purchase the painting for £100, under the condition that Barraud modify the cylinder phonograph to show one of their disc machines.[4] Barraud complied and the image was first used on the company's catalogue from December 1899. The company also began using the imagery on its gramophones. As the trademark gained in popularity, several additional paintings were subsequently commissioned from the Barraud for various corporate purposes.[5]

In 1909, The Gramophone Company launched the His Master's Voice record label. Its division, The Gramophone Company of India, also began using the "His Master's Voice" trademark, as well as their La voce del padrone division in Italy.[6] For countries without divisions, the British His Master's Voice label would import releases, this mainly including Europe and Africa.

The German record label Deutsche Grammophon (a subsidiary of The Gramophone Company) also used the "His Master's Voice" symbol. and continued to do so after the company split off from The Gramophone Company in 1914, as a result of World War I, taking ownership of the "His Master's Voice" symbol in Germany.[7]

In 1921, The Gramophone Company launched the His Master's Voice retailer in Oxford Street, additional units would open up, turning His Master's Voice into a large music retail chain.[8]

In 1925 and 1926, The Gramophone Company created record label divisions in Australia and New Zealand respectively. The Gramophone Company later became EMI.[9]

In 1949, Deutsche Grammophon sold the German rights of the His Master's Voice trademark to the Electrola record label of EMI, essentially back to its original owner.[10]

In 1985, The Gramophone Company India was sold from EMI to RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, however "His Master's Voice" would continue to appear as a record label under a license agreement from EMI.

In the mid-1980s, EMI began to open international HMV retail outlets, but were unable to use "His Master's Voice" in the United States, Canada or Japan. However, EMI's use of just the "HMV" initials in these regions was successful.

Following the demise of the His Master's Voice record label in 1993, the symbol then became best known in the United Kingdom as the logo for the HMV entertainment retailer.
The Victor Talking Machine Company in the United States used the His Master's Voice symbol from 1901 onwards. The above example is from 1921.

In 1993, EMI closed the His Master's Voice record label in the United Kingdom, and in 1998, spun off the HMV retailer to become its own company, HMV Media Group plc.[11] However, EMI held onto the His Master's Voice intellectual property, licensing the name to the retailer, and continuing the license for the record label in India.

In June 2003, the formal His Master's Voice trademark transfer took place from EMI Records to HMV Media Group plc.[12] This meant that EMI's only remaining license agreement, the His Master's Voice record label in India, would be discontinued, and releases in this region would be renamed.

In January 2013, HMV Group plc would later be rescued by Hilco Capital, who retained the "His Master's Voice" trademark rights in a number of continents when they sold the HMV stores to Sunrise Records.[13]

In February 2013, HMV Group plc sold the HMV stores in Hong Kong and Singapore to AID Partners Capital Limited, which also included the rights to "His Master's Voice" for a select number of Asian countries, currently owned by HMV Brand Pte Ltd.[14]

Victor Talking Machine Company / RCA Victor (United States)

[edit]

In July 1900, Emile Berliner, the inventor of the gramophone, registered the trademark in the United States after seeing the original painting at The Gramophone Company's offices in England.[15]

In 1901, Berliner assigned the trademark to his Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey. The company was the American affiliate of The Gramophone Company in London. It adopted the imagery and used it extensively on its products and advertising, however, while "His Master's Voice" appeared underneath the symbol, "Victor" appeared more prominently on products, so the symbol became better known as the "Victor dog" in the United States, rather than as the "His Master's Voice" dog as in other countries.

In 1929, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company, renaming it to RCA Victor, and expanding the use of the trademark on radios, television sets and other electronics.[16] However, it would begin to eventually be gradually phased out from the 1950s onwards on consumer electronics, in exchange for the RCA logo instead.

By the late 1960s, the "His Master's Voice" logo on records had been limited to appearing only for RCA Red Seal Records. In October 1976, RCA announced a revival of the His Master's Voice symbol across more of its estate, however this was short-lived.

In 1986, RCA was acquired by General Electric, who sold the RCA and His Master's Voice intellectual property to Technicolor SA a couple of years later. In May 2022, the RCA and His Master's Voice intellectual property was sold to Talisman Brands, Inc.[17]

Since 2023, Talisman Brands has licensed the brand to a company called Victor Musical Industries Inc, who produce His Master's Voice-branded consumer electronics.[18]

JVC / Victor Musical Industries / Victor Entertainment (Japan)

[edit]
The His Master's Voice symbol appears on JVC-Victor offices in Shinbashi, Japan. Pictured in September 2007.

In 1927, the Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan was created, which brought the "His Master's Voice" trademark to Japan, and later became known as JVC, the Japan Victor Company. The company used "His Master's Voice" across a wide range of consumer electronics.[19]

In 1943, JVC separated with RCA due to World War II, with the Japanese division continuing as its own separate entity, alongside the "His Master's Voice" trademark becoming owned in Japan by JVC, who continued its use.[20]

In 1972, JVC created Victor Musical Industries, a distributor of music and film, which uses the "His Master's Voice" logo.[21] Victor Musical Industries has since been renamed to Victor Entertainment, and the "His Master's Voice" logo remains retained.[22]

In 1990, EMI launched the HMV retailer in Japan, however they were unable to use the "His Master's Voice" symbol or name due to JVC owning it. However, they were not contested to use just the "HMV" initials by themselves.[23]

In October 2008, JVC and the Kenwood Corporation created a joint-venture, JVCKenwood, to create consumer electronics, this venture uses the "His Master's Voice" logo, mainly on audio equipment.[24]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Francis Barraud & Nipper". London Remembers. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  2. ^ Harrison, Kieran (19 October 2017). "His Master's Voice". FGD1 The Archive. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  3. ^ audiopolitan (21 June 2013). "His Master's Voice". audiopolitan. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  4. ^ Rye, Howard (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 249. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
  5. ^ "The Nipper Saga". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2006.
  6. ^ "LA VOCE DEL PADRONE (1930)". www.icbsa.it. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  7. ^ "History of Deutsche Grammophon". Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  8. ^ Skinner, Tom (22 September 2022). "HMV launches its own label 1921 Records, announces first signing". NME. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Page 13 Record Labels :Howard Friedman MusicWeb-International". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  10. ^ "DG History: The Fifth Decade (1940–1949)". Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  11. ^ Brooks2013-01-15T11:27:00, David. "HMV timeline: Charting the company's history". Retail Week. Retrieved 13 March 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Trade Mark Details as at 28 February 2013: HMV Group plc". Patent.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  13. ^ Butler, Sarah (28 January 2013). "HMV next for Hilco – restructuring expert that preys on dying brands". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  14. ^ "AID Partners acquires HMV". www.theasset.com. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  15. ^ "His Masters' Voice » JaneDogs". janedogs.com. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  16. ^ Meador, Granger (5 December 2023). "Remembering His Master's Voice". MEADOR.ORG. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  17. ^ Vantiva (31 May 2022). "Technicolor: Closing of the Sale of Trademark Licensing operations". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  18. ^ "HMV®". HMV®. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  19. ^ "JVC Professional History". pro.jvc.com. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  20. ^ "History of Victor Company of Japan, Limited". FundingUniverse. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  21. ^ Meador, Granger (5 December 2023). "Remembering His Master's Voice". MEADOR.ORG. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  22. ^ "ビクターエンタテインメント | Victor Entertainment". ビクターエンタテインメント | Victor Entertainment (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  23. ^ "HMV sells Japan business for £70m". Tehran Times. 31 July 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  24. ^ "Our Brands". JVCKENWOOD Corporation. Retrieved 16 March 2025.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Barnum, Fred (1991). His Master's Voice in America.
  • Southall, Brian (1996). The Story of the World's Leading Music Retailer: HMV 75, 1921–1996.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Nipper (category)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=His_Master%27s_Voice&oldid=1280823747"