The Gramophone Company / EMI / HMV (United Kingdom–based) In early 1899, Francis Barraud applied for copyright of his original 1898 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. 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". 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. 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 Barraud for various corporate purposes. In 1909, The Gramophone Company began using the dog and gramophone trademark on its record labels, replacing the former "recording Angel" trademark. The company rapidly became known as
His Master's Voice due to the prominence of that phrase around the top perimeter of the label. The Gramophone Company (HMV) distributed its recordings throughout Europe and later established dedicated international divisions in several countries. In regions without these divisions, such as
Scandinavia and
Greece, the British HMV company exported its releases. The Gramophone Company created French and Italian versions called
La Voix de son maître and
La voce del padrone respectively after previously forming in these countries in 1901 and 1904. In 1921, The Gramophone Company launched the
His Master's Voice retail shop on
Oxford Street. Additional shops appeared, turning His Master's Voice into a large music retail chain. In 1925 and 1926, The Gramophone Company created record label divisions in
Australia and
New Zealand respectively. Through sales and mergers, the Gramophone Company became part of
EMI in 1931.
Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft, was the Gramophone Company's German subsidiary until seceding from the parent company in 1914, as a result of the hostilities between Germany and Great Britain during
the First World War. DGG retained the "His Master's Voice" trademark for use in Germany until 1949. The trademark was then adopted by
Electrola, the Gramophone Company's German affiliate formed in 1925, to replace the renegade DGG. From the mid-1980s, EMI began to open international HMV retail outlets, but were unable to use the "His Master's Voice" trademark in the United States, Canada or Japan. However, EMI's use of just the "HMV" initials in these regions was permitted. In 1985, EMI sold the Gramophone Company's branch in India (formed in 1901) to
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group; however the "His Master's Voice" trademark would continue to be used in India under license from EMI, until 2003. In 1990, EMI began to phase out the His Master's Voice record label, gradually replacing it with the
EMI Classics label in 1993. In 1998, it divested the HMV retailer, which became an independent company, HMV Media Group plc. However, EMI held onto the "His Master's Voice" trademark, licensing the name to the retailer, and continuing it for its only remaining license in India. In June 2003, the formal "His Master's Voice" trademark transfer took place from EMI Records to HMV Media Group plc. This meant that EMI's only remaining license agreement, the His Master's Voice record label in India, would be discontinued, and record releases in this region would be renamed to Saregama from 2003 onwards. 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 under the name "Mermaid (Brands) Limited" when they sold the HMV stores to
Sunrise Records. The rightsholders in some territories is Palm Green Capital Limited, a company based in
British Virgin Islands, instead of Hilco Capital. 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 the "His Master's Voice" and "HMV" trademarks for a select number of Asian countries, currently owned by HMV Brand Pte. Ltd. entertainment retailer. in the United States used the His Master's Voice trademark from 1901 onwards. The above example is an advertisement from 1921.
Victor Talking Machine Company / RCA Victor (United States–based) Emile Berliner, the inventor of the gramophone, had seen the "His Master's Voice" painting at the Gramophone Company's offices in London and registered it as a trademark in the United States during July 1900. In the autumn of 1900, the "His Master's Voice" trademark first appeared in the United States in advertisements for the Consolidated Talking Machine Company, formed by
Eldridge R. Johnson and reorganized in 1901 as the
Victor Talking Machine Company in
Camden, New Jersey. Victor was the American affiliate of British Gramophone Company and initially used the trademark more extensively on its products and in advertising than its affiliate in England. In 1929, the
Radio Corporation of America (RCA) purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company, which became the
RCA Victor Division and expanded the use of the trademark on radios, television sets and other electronics and accessories. Beginning in the 1950s, RCA would gradually phase out the trademark's use on consumer electronics, in lieu of the RCA "lightning bolt" logo. In 1968, RCA introduced a modern logo and virtually retired the His Master's Voice trademark, restricting its use only to the album covers of
RCA Red Seal Records. In October 1976, RCA announced a revival of the His Master's Voice trademark, restoring it to most RCA record labels, advertising, and other products in the
Western Hemisphere. In 1986, the RCA Corporation was acquired by
General Electric, which eventually sold the rights to the "RCA" and "His Master's Voice" trademarks to
Technicolor SA. RCA Records was acquired by German media conglomerate
Bertelsmann, and then
Sony Music, who would both continue to use the "RCA", "RCA Victor" and "His Master's Voice" trademarks under license; In May 2022, the RCA and "His Master's Voice" trademarks were acquired by Talisman Brands Inc. Since 2023, Talisman Brands has licensed the "His Master's Voice" trademark to a company called Victor Musical Industries Inc, which produces "His Master's Voice"-branded consumer electronics and apparel.
JVC / Victor Entertainment / JVCKenwood (Japan-based) 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. In 1943, JVC seceded from RCA Victor due to the hostilities between Japan and the United States during
World War II. The Japanese division became an independent company, retaining the Victor name and "His Master's Voice" trademarks for use in Japan. In 1972, JVC created
Victor Musical Industries, a distributor of music and film, which uses the "His Master's Voice" logo. Victor Musical Industries has since been renamed Victor Entertainment, and the "His Master's Voice" logo remains retained. In 1990,
EMI launched the
HMV retailer in Japan. However, it was unable to use the Nipper/"His Master's Voice" trademark due to JVC controlling its use in that country. However, they were not contested to use just the initials "HMV". 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. == Legal disputes ==