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Blockchain Capital sues Florida firm with similar name

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One of the digital currency industry’s oldest venture capital firms is suing for trademark infringement over the use of its name. Blockchain Capital, LLC recently filed a lawsuit against a Florida company, claiming that the latter’s name is likely to cause confusion to investors.

In the lawsuit filed at the Middle District of Florida, the San Francisco-based company sued Blockchain Capital Management LLC (BCM), a Florida-based company and its founder Fareed Iftikhar for state and common law trademark infringement.

Blockchain Capital LLC claimed on its lawsuit that it has the exclusive right to use the name in venture capital and financial services industry. Founded in 2013 by Bart Stephen and Brock Pierce as Crypto Currency Partners, the company has been using the name for more than five years now. The lawsuit further claimed that through its partners’ individual exploits and the company’s successful investments, it has gained ‘distinctiveness, substantial press and recognition.’

BCM’s use of a similar name has caused “confusion, mistake or deception among the public.” This could lead to some investors falsely believing that BCM’s activities are affiliated with, endorsed by or authorized by Blockchain Capital, the firm claimed.

Blockchain Capital has written to BCM requesting for a name change in the past, the filing revealed. However, the latter has yet to act on the request, despite the founder, Iftikhar, acknowledging receipt of the letters.

“Defendants’ use of BLOCKCHAIN CAPITAL, if not enjoined by this court, will continue misleading the public and causing irreparable damage and harm to Plaintiff and the public, and will deprive Plaintiff of control over and exclusive rights to its immensely valuable brand and the goodwill it represents.”

However, the row may be solved quickly, with BCM’s founder revealing that he has no intention of fighting the case. In a statement to CoinDesk, Iftikhar revealed that BCM has largely been dormant and that he is willing to dissolve the company and end the legal proceedings.

“We have asked our counsel to start the process of dissolution for the aforementioned company and should be completed soon,” he stated.

New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.

Blockchain Capital起诉佛州一家公司采用相似名称

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数字货币行业从业最久的风险投资公司之一因另一家公司采用其名称而提起商标侵权诉讼。Blockchain Capital LLC 近日起诉美国佛州一家公司,称后者的名称易引起投资者的混淆。

在向美国佛罗里达州中区地方法院提起的诉讼中,这家位于旧金山的风投公司控告位于佛州的Blockchain Capital Management LLC(简称 BCM)及其创始人法里德·伊夫蒂哈尔(Fareed Iftikhar)触犯佛州以及普通法中有关商标权的规定。

Blockchain Capital LLC在诉讼中称,公司在风险投资和金融服务行业拥有使用该名称的专有权。公司由加密货币合伙人巴特·斯蒂芬(Bart Stephen)和布洛克·皮尔斯(Brock Pierce)于 2013 年创建,目前对该名称的使用已超过五年。诉讼还称,通过公司合伙人的开拓和整个公司的成功投资,公司已经获得了“很高的辨识度、曝光度和认可度”。

BCM采用与其相似的名称,已“在公众中引起混淆、误会或欺骗”。这有可能致使一些投资者误以为 BCM 的活动与 Blockchain Capital 有关联,或是得到了 Blockchain Capital 的支持或授权,Blockchain Capital 公司称。

起诉书中显示,Blockchain Capital 已向 BCM 致信,要求其更名。但后者目前尚无任何行动,尽管创始人伊夫蒂哈尔已确认收到了信件。

“假如法院不加禁止,允许被告使用‘BLOCKCHAIN CAPITAL’这个名称,将会继续误导公众,给原告及公众造成无可挽回的损失和伤害,并将导致原告丧失对其价值巨大的品牌及其所蕴含的商誉的控制和专有权。”

不过,这起争端有望快速解决,因为 BCM 的创始人表示他并无意打这桩官司。在给 CoinDesk 的一份声明中,伊夫蒂哈尔表示,BCM在很大程度上已处于休眠状态,他愿意解散该公司,从而终止法律诉讼。

“我们已经请律师启动了公司的解散程序,应该不久就能完成”,伊夫蒂哈尔表示。

New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.