Mutya Buena applies for Sugababes ownership

The former Sugababe has applied for ownership of the band name

There's yet more unrest in the ever-turbulent Sugababes camp - with news that former member Mutya Buena has filed for ownership of the band's name.

Buena, who was a founding member of the trio and then left in 2005, has applied to the European Trademarks Authority for permission to own the name.

If Buena's bid is successful, then she will own the rights to the Sugababe name, entitling her to use it on any product she pleases.

Her legal firm confirmed to the BBC that they were 'hopeful' the registration would pass in a few months. It also added that all three original Sugababes - Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy - were on the document, but that Buena was filed as the 'sole applicant.'

Buchanan, the last of the founding members left last September, and at the time Buena commented, 'It just means the Sugababes have ended because there are no original people remaining.'

Just another chapter in the Sugababe war of words, Buchanan maintanined that it was not her choice to leave, blaming a 'breakdown in communication' and 'lack of trust' for the split.

Meanwhile the current line-up are set to launch their first album since new member Jade Ewen joined the band, Sweet 7.

Speaking to Radio 1 at the album launch, Heidi Range stated: 'Our record company owns the name so there's no conversations about who owns the name. I signed to Universal records eight-and-a-half years ago with Mutya and Keisha, so we've still got the name'

SEE THE SUGABABES AT THE 2010 BRITS