Easy Bathrooms wins IPEC trade mark case against easyGroup

The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) has found in favour of Easy Bathrooms, dismissing trade mark infringement and passing off claims brought by easyGroup and rejecting its challenges to Easy Bathrooms’ own registered trade marks. The Court dismissed easyGroup’s claims in full and confirmed that Easy Bathrooms’ key trade marks remain valid, allowing the retailer to continue trading under the name it has built over more than a decade.

The case included witness evidence from founder & chairman Craig Waddington, systems director Steve Browett and head of marketing Lee Reed, who appeared on behalf of Easy Bathrooms during the proceedings.

Founded in Yorkshire in 2013, Easy Bathrooms has grown from a single showroom into one of the UK’s largest bathroom and tile retailers, with more than 150 showrooms nationwide and ambitious plans for continued expansion.

Craig Waddington said: “We’re naturally delighted with the Court’s decision. Throughout these proceedings our focus never changed, we carried on growing the business, opening new showrooms and supporting customers across the UK... We’ve always respected the importance of intellectual property rights and the role they play in protecting businesses. Equally, we’ve always believed that Easy Bathrooms earned its reputation through the quality of its people, the experience we give our customers and the strength of the business we’ve built. We can now look to the future and carry on doing what we’ve always done: helping customers create beautiful bathrooms.”