information H&R Block sues Block (.xyz), formerly Square, over new name

[Lox]

Tax preparation company H&R Block Inc(HRB.N) on Thursday sued payment company Block Inc(SQ.N), previously called Square Inc, saying the new name infringed its trademarks.

Block's chief executive, Twitter Inc(TWTR.N) co-founder Jack Dorsey, announced the name change earlier this month as the company looked to expand beyond its payment service into new areas, including blockchain.

In a complaint filed in Kansas City, Missouri, federal court, however, H&R Block accused the company of "stealing Block's name in order to co-opt the reputation and goodwill that Block has earned through decades of hard work."

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[bmugford]

Interesting... Using "Block" especially when it comes to a financial services related company.

Regardless of the merits, there will probably just end up being some settlement agreement at the end of the day.

Brad

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Just goes to show that companies do own "generic" terms. If you have the trademark for the goods or services you have rights to the name.

 

[karmaco]

It’s somewhat frivolous. This is the reason they are doing it:

Block agreed to buy Intuit tax-prep business last year and plans to deliver tax returns via Cash App. (They also claim the logo is too similar to theirs)

There are many block trademarks. They are known as HRBlock not Block. They don’t own the word. They are just in an uproar about the competing tax software.

 

[Xiberia]

In a complaint filed in Kansas City, Missouri, federal court, however, H&R Block accused the company of "stealing Block's name in order to co-opt the reputation and goodwill that Block has earned through decades of hard work."

I don't know what the word "block" makes people think of in the US, but I suspect < 1% of people outside North America have even heard of "H&R Block".

The logo for Cash App Taxes, a green square with rounded corners and a dollar sign, is confusingly similar to H&R Block's green square logo, according to the lawsuit.

Is today April 1?

I assumed by this they both have "square"/squircle green logos with a dollar sign. In fact the logo of H&R Block is nothing but a literal (non-rounded) green square with nothing on it. Even Apple, who famously own rounded corners, must be laughing at the audacity.

Instead of changing names, Dorsey should have just sued over the H&R logo being the same shape as his company's name.

 

[HotKey]

What a bunch of clowns. Just another company to add to the ever-growing list of performers looking to capitalize under Mark's Big Tent of Entitlement.

This case is DOA.

 

[karmaco]

Even funnier and I hope the defense uses this, a company trying to claim they are known as Block never bothered for all these years to upgrade their name and it still sits on HRBlock.com.

 

[jhm]

What a bunch of clowns. Just another company to add to the ever-growing list of performers looking to capitalize under Mark's Big Tent of Entitlement.

This case is DOA.

 

[Kris88]

Kind of seems like a pointless name change anyway

 

[silentg]

Block.com is not even utilized properly. The domain has squarespace template and no contact information. Contact us points to [email protected] and social media icons point to squarespace.

 

[Ariff BD]

they can buy my bloqchain.xyz
i own it
Someone guide me how i reach them.

lols