It is lawful after all to stop people using the word easy as a prefix in naming their businesses

easyGroup has just won two trademark cases where it had objected to applications made by other companies.

A Spanish company called Ditesco had applied for a trademark called EASYMONEY but was refused registration by the European Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market in the services of “financial and monetary affairs, financial and insurance services, banking services.” easyGroup objected in order to protect one of the easyGroup companies, easyMoney, online financial services.

North British Trust Hotels Limited applied for an EASYCOACH trademark which was refused by the UK Patent Office for the provision of tours and transport of passengers. easyGroup objected in order to protect one of its companies in incubation, easyBus.

easyGroup has already registered the trademarks of EASYMONEY and EASYBUS and these registrations pre-date the applications by the above companies. In the case of Ditesco it is hoped that costs will be awarded to easyGroup and in the case of North British Trust Hotels £500 costs were awarded to easyGroup. easyGroup will continue to protect its brand wherever possible. If there is ever a chance that consumers could believe that a company using the name ‘easy’ is part of the easyGroup when this is not the case, then the easyGroup will move to protect both itself and consumers.