As many will know, the term "Sodor" is part of the "Thomas & Friends" franchise, and as such, would come under the brand's copyright when used in a way related to Thomas. Some research into the word brings up:
- Old Norse for the phrase Southern Isles
- Sodor and Man being the official name for the Anglican diocese of the Isle of Man since 1684.
To use the word and try to claim either of these as our meaning could perhaps be classed as cheap and desperate. Therefore, we have both decided that we shall play things safe and have changed to "Top Props."
We would also like to make it clear that we have attempted to change the page name on Facebook. However, Facebook does not allow this unless the page has fewer than 200 likes. Some geographical locations are offered a name-change request form, however, it seems the United Kingdom is not one of these. We shall continue to chase this up to bring all our platforms in line with one another.
Some may have picked up on the URLs being "TopPropsCO" for Facebook, Twitter and the blog. Both 'TopProp' and 'TopProps' addresses were taken on all platforms. The 'CO' in this instance does not mean 'Company' (which is usually designated by 'Co.'), but is instead an initial from each of our first name. For all intents and purposes, we are "Top Props."
We thank you for your understanding, and look forward to announcing new acquisitions and bookings throughout the year.
