Remember your Ps and Qs: Citigroup sues AT&T for trademark infringement
Financial services corporation Citigroup has sued telecoms company AT&T for trademark infringement.
The suit was filed at the US District Court for the Southern District Court of New York on Friday, June 10.
Citigroup owns trademarks for ‘ThankYou’, ‘Citi ThankYou’ and ‘Citibusiness ThankYou’, which it uses in its customer loyalty, reward and redemption programmes.
AT&T filed its trademark for ‘AT&T thanks’ at the US Patent and Trademark Office on April 7 this year.
On June 2 this year, AT&T launched its customer loyalty programme under the trademarks ‘thanks’ and ‘AT&T thanks’.
Citigroup argues that AT&T’s trademarks are likely to cause confusion, and constitute unfair competition in violation of Citigroup’s rights, false designation of origin and trademark infringement.
Citigroup is seeking a judgment preventing AT&T from using Citigroup's ‘ThankYou’ trademarks, punitive and exemplary damages, full restitution, attorneys’ fees and a trial by jury.
A spokesperson for AT&T told WIPR: “This may come as a surprise to Citigroup, but the law does not allow one company to own the word 'thanks'. We’re going to continue to say thanks to our customers.”
