The court granted an interlocutory injunction to the financial services group Direct Line against two individuals who had arranged the incorporation of a large number of companies under names comprising the names or trade marks of well-known enterprises, including three companies comprising the word ‘Direct Line’. These facts were ‘only reasonably consistent with an intention on their part to hitch themselves to other companies reputations and make an elicit profit by doing so’.
Judges:
Laddie J
Citations:
[1997] FSR 374
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Cited by:
Cited – Marks and Spencer Plc, Ladbrokes Plc, J Sainsbury Plc, Virgin Enterprises Ltd, British Telecommunications Plc, Telecom Securior Cellular Radio Ltd v One In A Million and Others PatC 28-Nov-1997
The registration of internet domain names which would infringe trade marks and potentially facilitate passing off can be protected summarily by quia timet injunction. The defendants were dealers in domain names and the use of a trade mark in the . .
Cited – British Telecommunications Plc; Virgin Enterprises Ltd; J Sainsbury Plc; Marks and Spencer Plc and Ladbroke Group Plc v One In a Million Ltd and others CA 23-Jul-1998
Registration of a distinctive Internet domain name using registered trade marks and company names could be an infringement of a registered Trade Mark, and also passing off. It was proper to grant quia timet injunctions where necessary to stop . .
Cited – Global Projects Management Ltd v Citigroup Inc and Others ChD 17-Oct-2005
GPM had acquired an internet domain name ‘citigroup.co.uk’. Citigroup alleged passing off and trade mark infringement. The claimant complained of an unjustified threat. The defendant counterclaimed, and sought summary judgment.
Held: The . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Intellectual Property
Updated: 01 May 2022; Ref: scu.239033