Some people think they can make a fast buck by stealing our name and our reputation. They set up websites and companies using the name ‘easy‘ (or phonetic versions of it) which can either pay a passing resemblance to an easyGroup company or be a direct copy.
Sometimes these people ask us for money, sometimes they just hope consumers will think they are an easyGroup company and will part with their money. If you see a company that you think is disguising itself as an easyGroup company that is trying to piggyback off our brand in any way, then please help us to protect both the consumer and our brand. Please email any information to domains@easygroup.co.uk and indicate if at any stage you have been under the impression that this was a genuine easyGroup company set up by our founder and chairman Stelios. Evidence of confusion helps our case.
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We are pleased to announce another significant legal victory for easyGroup against brand theft in Greece.
Posted on: 08 February 2022
easyGroup is the creator and owner of the easy family of brands (see www.easyHistory.info) and it cannot allow unauthorised use of the brand. It is not fair to the royalty-paying members of the easy family to allow others to use it for free.
The brand thief, Nikolaos Agrafiotis was using the website easyairpark.gr to target passengers and operated a parking lot for cars at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens.
Please click here to view the full decision (Greek text)
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Another significant win for easyGroup in the battle against brand theft
Posted on: 17 December 2021
The Chancellor of the High Court in London, Sir Julian Flaux today (17 December) ruled in favour of Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s private investment company, easyGroup by confirming that the UK court system maintains jurisdiction to hear EUTM trade mark infringement actions that were issued before the BREXIT IP Completion Day (1 January 2021).
The decision makes it clear that in accordance with the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement from the EU, the High Court has maintained the right to sit as an EU trade mark court and grant all relief, including pan-EU wide injunctions, in relation to such proceedings.
Subject to any successful appeal, the decision means that proceedings will continue at the UK High Court against Julie Ann Khammo and Beauty Perfectionists Ltd in relation to their use of easyCosmetic to offer cosmetic products online.
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easyFly agrees to rebrand after US courtroom settlement
Posted on: 20 September 2021
“Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, chairman of EasyGroup, Ltd., a U.K. corporation (“easyGroup”), and Alfonso Avila Velandia, president of Empresa Aerea de Servicios y Facilitación Logística Integral, S.A. D/B/A Easyfly, S.A. a Colombian corporation (“Empresa”), are pleased to announce that all disputes between the companies have been amicably resolved. Pursuant to this amicable resolution Empresa will adopt a new name and trademark for its airline within two (2) years from 16 September 2021.”
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Another victory for Stelios and the easy family of brands against brand theft!
Posted on: 27 July 2021
A further victory for brand protection was delivered in the High Court in London on the 22nd July after Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s easyGroup was granted an injunction preventing a French Caribbean travel agent, Stephane Roche from using the “easyway” brand to promote his tourist services to customers in the UK.
The defendant, Stefan Roche will also have to pay legal costs to easyGroup of around £75k plus damages (based on a share of his profits and or his revenues for the last seven years) for using the easy brand without easyGroup’s permission. The quantum of the damages will be assessed later in the legal process. However, the court ordered that his website be subject to “geo-blocking” so it is not visible in the UK and he is also prohibited from offering his services to UK travel agents, customers with a .co.uk email address or any other customers that make it clear at any point during the transaction that they are located within the UK.
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Another “easy” win for Sir Stelios in the battle against brand theft
Posted on: 12 August 2020
Yet another brand thief has been forced to pay heavy damages to easyGroup, owner and founder of the “easy” family of brands, for the illegal use of its distinctive “easy” marque. On 30 July (for publication this week) a High Court judge in London ordered the Italian law firm, using the brand Easyrimborso and its director, Sr Felice d’Angelo, to pay over the sum of £100,000 for its past use of counterfeit signs easyrimborso.it, easyrimborso.com and the easyrimborso logo. The damages were assessed as the foregone income easyGroup would have earned if the brands had been properly licenced.
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Sir Stelios wins another round against brand thief Avila
Posted on: 14 January 2020
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, owner of the easy family of brands and his private investment vehicle easyGroup (easy.com) have secured today from a UK High Court Judge another legal victory in their longstanding battle against brand theft.
A UK High Court Judge has delivered judgment today in a preliminary jurisdictional hearing ruling that Colombian brand thief Mr Avila and his airline calling themselves ‘easyFly’ have committed acts within the EU and UK which the UK High Court has standing to rule amount to trade mark infringement and passing off .
It is noted that easyGroup owns an identical EU trade mark for the word easyFly already and operates this global online travel agency from this website www.easyFly.travel.
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Sir Stelios: “Another brand thief is ordered to cease, desist and compensate easyGroup”
Posted on: 08 January 2020
easyGroup, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s private investment vehicle and owner of the easy family of brands has won another important legal battle against brand theft.
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All bets are off! – An early Christmas present for Sir Stelios and the easy family of brands with another legal victory
Posted on: 03 December 2019
easyGroup and Sir Stelios have today claimed another victory in their efforts to cease infringing activity of brand thieves against the easy family of brands.
A court order has been granted in favour of easy against Swiss hosting provider Exoscale (Akenes SA). Exoscale had been hosting a portal for online betting games under the domain easybet.com. Although not working alone, Exoscale had partaken in infringing activity by hosting and providing services out of Switzerland with the easy trade mark and domain.
In its judgment, the court recognised the notoriety of the easyJet trade mark, citing it as a “famous trade mark” in Switzerland. As a result, Exoscale have been ordered to pay significant court fees, as well as a threat of a daily infringement fee if infringing action did not cease. However, the website has already been taken down.
This marks a shift and a significant victory for Sir Stelios and the easy family of brands, serving as a warning to those infringers who may claim that hosting a website utilising infringing trade marks and domains is not enough to constitute infringement.
This latest legal victory in easyGroup’s portfolio adds a further dimension of legal protection for the easy family of brands and marks another step in its efforts to cease infringing activity.
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Another legal victory for protecting the easy family of brands!
Posted on: 07 October 2019
easyGroup and Sir Stelios have just claimed another legal victory against a brand thief, this time in Colombia, as part of the continued policy of legally stopping other people from using the easy brand without prior permission.
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easyGroup: Sir Stelios claims another win in campaign against brand theft
Posted on: 13 September 2019
easyGroup, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s private investment company that owns and manages the “easy” family of brands, has today claimed another victory for trade mark protection against Air China. As the Peoples Republic’s national flag carrier, Air China had been using “Easy Way” to describe its Beijing-Frankfurt service, launched in May 2017.
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Another brand thief stops using the easy brand
Posted on: 16 April 2019
Brand thief’s use of easy logos without permission from easyGroup and Sir Stelios forced to stop!
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s easyGroup, owner of the easy family of brands (www.easy.com ), has today claimed a victory in a long-running and blatant “rip-off” dispute with a small Bangladesh-based cargo airline.
Dhaka-based “easyFly” had been using both the same font and the colour orange as easyGroup – clearly in a counterfeit way – with logos on both the aircraft fuselage and engine pods. The small two aircraft cargo operation (including an Airbus A300) is owned by a Mr Saber Chowdury.
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French supermarket giant Carrefour backs down over EASY branding dispute with Sir Stelios
Posted on: 09 January 2019
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s easyGroup, owner of the easy family of brands, has today claimed a historic victory in its long-running legal battle with the French supermarket giant, Carrefour.
Between 2014-6, the supermarket giant opened a number of “metro” format stores in Belgium using the orange colour in a font which resembles the easyGroup house style.
Following legal action and representations from easyGroup’s lawyers, Carrefour has now rebranded these stores into their own house style – “Carrefour Express”.
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Another win! Opposition by easyGroup limited against EUTM EASY ON THE GO LOGO
Posted on: 20 July 2017
easyGroup filed an opposition against EU Trade Mark Application NO 016479024 EASY ON THE GO LOGO in Classes 35 and 38. The mark was written in orange. In response to our Notice of Opposition, the Applicant has withdrawn their application in its entirety.
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Another victory to report for easyGroup!
Posted on: 29 June 2017
Opposition filed against the EU designation of international trade mark registration number 1318280 easyclean B logo made by Binz GmbH &apm; Co. KG.
We’ve recently been informed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office that the international registration has been cancelled in its entirety. As a result, our opposition is considered to have been settled and will not proceed to judgement. The good news is that the brand thief, easyclean B mark will not be registered as an EU trademark.
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eazi registration stops EAZI MOVE & Device
Posted on: 06 June 2017
The “EAZI MOVE & Device” trademark application was voluntarily withdrawn by its Applicant after a letter was sent by easyGroup informing them that it would be opposed.
The existence of the eazi registration currently owned by easyGroup paired with the mark being used by the brand provided strong grounds for the successful challenge of the application.
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easyGroup successfully acquires easyTech domains from brand thief
Posted on: 05 June 2017
easyGroup was successful in acquiring the domain names easyTech.co.uk and easyTech.uk from a brand thief who had previously registered them. The respondent was directed to transfer ownership of both domain names to easyGroup in conclusion.
The successful grounds included:
- easyGroup has rights in respect of a name or mark which is identical or similar to the Domain Names
- in the hands of Kevin Adams the domain names were abusive registrations because:
- easyGroup‘s mark has a reputation and the Respondent has no reasonable justification for having registered the Domain Names,
- The Respondent is engaged in a pattern of registrations which correspond to well-known names or trademarks in which the Respondent has no apparent rights and that the Domain Names are part of that pattern,
- The Respondent is using or threatening to use the Domain Names in a way which has confused or is likely to confuse people or businesses into believing that the Domain Names are registered to, operated by or authorised by, or otherwise connected with easyGroup,
- the Respondent has registered the Domain Names as blocking registrations in respect of the trademark “easyTech“
Please click here to view details of the decision
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easy gains further ground in brand protection campaign
Posted on: 01 June 2017
Today lawyers acting for easyGroup have secured exclusive use of the following marks
| Applicant: EzyEducation Ltd |
| Number |
Trademark |
Trademark Class |
| 3184139 |
EzyBusiness |
Class 41 |
| 3184133 |
EzyMaths |
Class 41 |
| 3184134 |
EzyScience |
Class 41 |
| 3184141 |
EzyPhysics |
Class 41 |
| 3184143 |
EzyChemistry |
Class 41 |
| 3184144 |
EzyBiology |
Class 41 |
after representatives of the applicant indicated that their client has agreed to withdraw their above UK applications in their entirety.
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Another victory for easyGroup in stopping unauthorised use of the easy brand by people we call brand thieves: Opposition by easyGroup Limited against Benelux Trade Mark Application No. 1335904 EASYDRIVE in the name of Entreprise des Postes et Télécommunications
Posted on: 20 January 2017
The trade mark application for EASYDRIVE filed by brand thief Entreprise des Postes et Télécommunications has been successfully withdrawn subsequent to easyGroup‘s opposition.
Our trade mark opposition has had an immediate effect without having to take matters any further as the brand thief has also removed their infringing website. Attached is an extract from the Benelux Register showing the withdrawal.
easyGroup will always protect our business partners who have made a legitimate financial investment in our brand as part of their commercial strategy. We also protect the consumers who might confused by the brand thieves.
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High Court closes down “Easyair” brand thieves
Posted on: 19 October 2016
A senior English judge has ordered Mr Uma Pinghapani to cease using the “Easyair” trademark and transfer all internet domain names and related material to easyGroup, the brand licensing company owned by easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Under the terms of the order dated 12 October, failure to comply could result in imprisonment, summary fining or sequestration of assets.
Please click here to View full article.
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Reminder of easyGroup brand protection policy
Posted on: 12 March 2012
“The easyGroup takes its rights and responsibilities for the ‘easy‘ name very seriously. We will protect our business partners who have made a legitimate financial investment in the brand as part of their commercial strategy. It is simply unacceptable and unfair for others to use it as they please – free, gratis and for nothing.
“The ‘easy‘ name is synonymous with quality, value for money services and we also have a duty to protect the public from its unauthorised use.”
Gym name fight no Easy workout
To see the full article please click HERE
Further easyGroup action to protect business partners from brand theft
To see the full article please click HERE
Exercise firm rebrands in face of Easy battle
To see the full article please click HERE
