EasyGroup loses brand theft claim against shopping site
EasyJet’s parent company has lost a High Court brand theft claim against a shopping website which has the word “easy” in its name.
EasyGroup, which has a rich history of going after entities it believes have infringed its trademarks, took legal action against easyfundraising Ltd, its founder Ian Woodroffe and investors The Support Group (UK) Ltd.
Its main argument was that customers could confuse the two brands as coming under easyGroup, which has more than 200 ‘easy’ branded ventures within its portfolio.
Money latest: Wedding gifts branded ‘cheeky and spoilt’
They also include easyBus and easyHotel.
But Mr Justice Fancourt dismissed easyGroup’s claims, saying “it is unlikely that any but a few would make the association and be confused” between the two brands.
He added: “Users of easyfundraising’s advertising services would be least likely to be confused, as they were relatively sophisticated and careful business persons, or professionals, and as such are most unlikely to consider that easyfundraising or easysearch is an easy+ brand or connected in some way with easyGroup.”
Another plank of easyGroup’s case centred on its belief that easyfundraising had a poor reputation.
Addressing that issue, the judge noted the “large number of retailers that advertise with easyfundraising and have done so for years, including well-known and reputable high street brands such as Marks & Spencer and John Lewis, demonstrate that retailers do not share the claimant’s view that easyfundraising has a poor reputation.”
Leicester band, formerly known as Easy Life, are now called Hard Life after separate legal action by EasyGroup
He added: “Indeed, many of the easyGroup licensees, including easyJet itself, advertised on easyfundraising between 2010 and 2022, generating around £1.25m of sales.”
Easyfundraising chief executive, James Moir, said in response to the judgment: “Our decision to not back down against easyGroup’s ridiculous claims and tactics has been entirely vindicated.
“This whole case has taken up so many months of management and business time that could have been far better spent on our core business… We hope that this judgement gives heart to others being sued by easyGroup that they can see them in court – and win.”
Read more from Sky News:
‘Most generous voluntary redundancy package ever’ offered to Port Talbot workers
Economy shows zero growth for second month
Chancellor signals budget will be painful mix of cuts, tax hikes and higher borrowing
EasyGroup founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou indicated after the case that the company would appeal.
“We will continue our challenge which we believe to be in the interest of the UK consumer”, he said.
His company has a section on its website dedicated to its battles with companies globally over the use of the word ‘easy’.
EasyGroup’s most recent win came over the band Easy Life earlier this year.
The Leicester-based group changed its name to Hard Life, and released a new single called Tears, in the wake of the case being settled in June.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports8 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway