September 2017. The Uber brand is coming under fire in the US. On 29 August, the company Uber Operations filed a trademark suit against it with the District Court in Florida, claiming infringement of its trademark rights to the name Uber Operations, which pre-date those of the taxi firm.
Annoyance
Although strictly speaking Uber Operations, which was established in 2004, is active in a different sphere (cloud computing, specialising in the health care sector) it is experiencing considerable annoyance due to the fact that it shares part of its name with Uber.
Threats
Uber Operations says it’s having to field erroneous phone calls and emails, as well as being sent legal documents intended for Uber, resulting in the overrun of deadlines. The company also regularly receives threats intended for Uber and its drivers.
Stop Uber
All this results in additional lost time and productivity, according to Uber Operations, which claims that confusion between the two firms has damaged its brand. Which is why it now wants the Court to ban Uber’s use of the name in the US, cancel its trademark registration and force the taxi company to pay it a share of its profits to Uber Operations as compensation.