Irish and UK Times newspapers settle trademark spat

The Irish Times Ltd has settled its trademark infringement action against Rupert Murdoch-owned Times Newspapers.

The company, which owns The Irish Times, had been in a trademark battle with the London-based The Times since May.

In July the High Court of Ireland rejected a call by the Irish Times Ltd to prevent online news service The Times Irish Edition from launching because of trademark infringement. The Irish Times Ltd claimed that the suggested title infringes its trademark.

Opposing a call for an injunction, Times Newspapers had denied that the name of the title could cause readers to be confused.

According to both newspapers and Judge John Hedigan, who rejected the injunction request, the decision to launch an Irish-focussed edition had been “common knowledge” among journalists since September 2014.

But yesterday, The Irish Times reported that John Newman SC, who is representing the newspaper’s parent company, told the Commercial Court (a division of the high court) that the case has been settled. Because of this the case has been struck out, the paper reported.