Nationwide Files Federal Suit to Stop Trademark Infringement

To protect its name and trademark, Nationwide, an international insurance and financial services leader, filed a federal trademark infringement suit against Florida-based Nationwide Insurance Group Inc. and The Nationwide Companies.

Nationwide filed for a preliminary injunction in Federal District Court in Columbus to stop the companies from using the Nationwide name and trademark in conjunction with the sale of insurance and other financial services products.

In the suit, Nationwide states that its mark has been associated solely and exclusively with Nationwide in the minds of consumers for insurance and financial services. The Florida-based companies only recently began offering a variety of financial and insurance services under the Nationwide mark, including via the Internet.

In addition to stopping the use of its name, Nationwide is asking that the Florida-based companies surrender all copies of any materials bearing the Nationwide name for destruction; contact all state insurance regulatory bodies and advise them that they are not connected or affiliated with Nationwide; send each of their policyholders a letter advising that they are not connected with Nationwide; pay compensatory and treble damages to Nationwide; and turn over all domain names including the word Nationwide.

Nationwide, with world headquarters in Columbus, is the 30th largest insurance and financial services company in the world and offers a broad range of personal and commercial insurance and long-term savings products. Nationwide ranks 127th in total revenues on the Fortune 500 list.