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. (See here) However following a brief exchange of solicitors’ letters, Air China has agreed to stop use of the wording.
This is the latest in a string of similar wins for easyGroup that include preventing the use of the “easy” trade mark by French supermarket giant Carrefour.
Sir Stelios said: “We have a long-standing and well-publicized policy of pursuing brand thieves in courts in UK, EU courts and beyond. Some brand thieves are small companies that simply fold instead of fighting it out in court. So it is reassuring to see a company with the size and standing of Air China accepting the logic and fairness of not using another travel company’s brand.”