Orange Angered By Easy Mobile Venture

by Jason Gorringe, for LawAndTax-News.com, London

22 February 2005

According to reports in the UK media this week, six months of negotiations between mobile phone operator Orange and the Easy Group over the planned launch next month of the latter's easyMobile operation have collapsed, leading Orange to threaten legal action.

The mobile firm, owned by France Telecom, fears that easyMobile's use of the group's signature orange livery will lead to confusion amongst potential customers.

In a statement released last week it announced that:

"Our brand and the rights associated with it are extremely important to us. In the absence of any firm commitment from Easy, we have been left with no choice but to start an action."

However, founder of the Easy Group, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, despite promising to include a disclaimer on the easyMobile website stating that it is not connected to Orange, was defiant, announcing: "I will see them in court."

He continued:

"It is our right to use our own corporate colour for which we have become famous during the last 10 years. We have nothing to be afraid of. They are clearly worried about the competition."

Recommended