Company sues band for using brand name created years later

O Easy Life is being processed by easyGroup, a conglomerate that includes specific branches — such as airlines, buses, hotels and even gyms. Read the band’s statement:

Ok… I never imagined I would have to do this, but we have no other option than to explain the situation we find ourselves in. As some of you have already discovered, we are being sued. A easyJet is suing us for calling ourselves Easy Life. They are forcing us to change our name or embark on a legal battle that we could never afford. We worked hard to establish our brand and I’m sure we never affected the company’s business. Although we find the whole situation hilarious, we don’t have enough power against such a large corporation. I don’t know what else to say, we’ll keep you updated.

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— easy life (@easylife) October 2, 2023

“It’s as if the Ryan Gosling couldn’t be called Ryan because of Ryanair“, joked internet user, comparing the actor’s name with that of the airline.

The company argues that the musical group used the name of one of its brands, easyLifewithout permission: “We have a history of stopping thieves who try to steal our brand and I’m sure we will stop Mr. Matravers.” Records show, however, that the Easy Life it was created at least eight years before the homonymous brand. “Who is the brand thief here?” wrote the band in an Instagram post.

To the NMEO easyGroup added that “other companies (including easyLife) pay annual royalties for using the brand as part of their business strategies” and, therefore, it would be “unfair” for the band not to do the same.

It may seem like it, but it’s nothing personal. Five years ago, the company sued the Netflix because of the series Easy. According to the owner Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the streaming service should have “checked with their European lawyers before using” the title. In response, the Netflix stated that the public would know how to differentiate a series they watch from a plane they fly on (via The Guardian).

A large part of the profits from It isasyGroup comes from the licensing of the most varied brands they own, one of the reasons why Haji-Ioannou is so committed to searching for any names similar to your company, even those created before.