Daring to prefix an organization or perhaps a pop group’s identify with “straightforward” may land you in authorized sizzling water, because the founding father of British airline easyJet relentlessly tackles alleged trademark breaches.
Greek-Cypriot tycoon Stelios Haji-Ioannou, whose easyGroup nonetheless has hyperlinks with the provider, has got down to shield the “straightforward” model by threatening court docket motion in opposition to anybody deemed to be benefiting from the identify.
A proper grievance made by the person merely often known as Stelios not too long ago compelled British indie pop band Simple Life, which additionally adorned posters with an plane exhibiting a likeness to an easyJet airplane, into altering its identify. It selected Arduous Life.
EasyGroup owns the licenses to a number of entities with the “straightforward” identify. The pop band took to social media when EasyJet was suing it, saying it didn’t have the funds to defend itself in what might be a prolonged authorized row.
To make sure, the airline group solely filed its trademark utility for the “Easylife” identify in 2020—a number of years after the band was based. Nonetheless, easyGroup has sought to guard the “straightforward” prefix because it owns many companies with comparable names comparable to easyCinema and easyBooking.
‘Simple come, straightforward go’
“The issue with small model thieves if they’re left unchecked is that they change into worthwhile they usually develop,” an easyGroup spokesman informed AFP in relation to quite a few ongoing lawsuits.
“Most of those circumstances by no means come to open court docket because the model thieves realise that they’re within the mistaken and make modifications to the satisfaction of easyGroup,” he added.
Arduous Life nonetheless offers a nod to its previous, with the band’s account on X carrying the title message “straightforward come, straightforward go”.
Forward of releasing a brand new track in June it wrote on the social platform: “Protected to say the final 9 months haven’t been straightforward.”
EasyGroup and Stelios, who lives in Monaco, insist that their actions are within the curiosity of the buyer, to keep away from confusion and protect the corporate’s picture.
The spokesman added that “most of easyGroup’s income” go into the Stelios Philanthropic Basis.
The easyGroup mannequin sees it obtain royalties from licensing its model to 3rd events. It receives, for instance, 0.25 p.c of easyJet’s income, whereas the Haji-Ioannou household nonetheless owns 15 p.c of the provider.
Round 1,200 official “straightforward” manufacturers exist, from playing enterprise easyBet to easyGym, easyHotel and relationship web site easyWoo—a lot of which exhibit the identical typeface and orange/white color scheme.
‘David and Goliath’
Unofficial “straightforward” firms contacted by AFP cited colossal authorized charges as the explanation for backing down and altering their names when pursued by easyGroup.
“As a small enterprise it was extremely arduous to maintain up financially with solicitor charges so for me I’m completely satisfied to depart this behind me,” mentioned Jozsef Spekker, proprietor of Stoke Jetwash.
The driveway-cleaning enterprise was often known as Simple Jetwash till August.
The brand new identify takes the identify of town the place his small enterprise is predicated in central England.
An mental property legislation specialist on the London Faculty of Economics, Luke McDonagh, described such circumstances as “David and Goliath battles”.
“Some folks name this trademark bullying, the place primarily Goliath takes a case in opposition to a David, a small firm that actually has no sources and can’t combat again,” he informed AFP.
“It’s not simply easyGroup, it might be mistaken to single them out, loads of large firms do that,” he added, citing Apple, L’Oreal and tv broadcaster Sky as prime examples.
McDonagh believes easyGroup, whose branding extends to cruise firm easyBoat and household-products agency easyCleaning, “has been going too far in taking so many circumstances in opposition to these small entities”.
“The aim of trademark legislation is to not give a vast monopoly on a phrase. It is perhaps totally different if it was a wholly made-up phrase, however ‘straightforward’ is such a typical phrase within the English language that different firms want to have the ability to use it in an affordable method.”
EasyGroup has loved “many authorized (trademark) victories over time”, the spokesman mentioned.
Even when it could not all the time look like a combat between equals, Stelios has misplaced a couple of challenges over the model’s identify. In 2018, as an example, the group misplaced a case in opposition to automotive seller Arnold Clark over the identify of its cost system, Simple Pay.
Earlier this month, Easyfundraising, an almost 20-year-old Staffordshire-based firm, gained a authorized battle in opposition to EasyGroup alongside comparable strains.
The Excessive Courtroom in London dominated in favour of on-line platform easyfundraising, which is hoping to recuperate round £1.0 million ($1.3 million) in authorized charges, regardless of an attraction hanging over the corporate.
“It’s telling that EasyGroup weren’t in a position to produce a single piece of proof exhibiting any buyer confusion has ever existed,” Easyfundraising’s CEO James Moir informed the BBC. Stelios, alternatively, mentioned he would attraction the choice as he was “upset” by it.
“It’s like a warfare of attrition, they usually simply hope that finally firms give in, as a result of it’s too lengthy, it’s an excessive amount of problem, it’s too costly,” Moir informed AFP.
