Easy: Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou hunts branded bandits

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of easyJet, has claimed another scalp in the English courts after launching a legal crusade to stop others from putting the word 'easy' in front of their company names.

Last week, the Court of Appeal in London upheld a judgment ordering businessman Achilleas Achilleous, who operated the website easyLiveauction.com, to pay £180,000 in legal costs following a trademark lawsuit by Haji-Ioannou's company easyGroup.

It followed a High Court ruling earlier this month when Judge Sir Anthony Mann said easyLiveauction was “piggybacking on the tails” of the easyGroup trademark.

easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has claimed another scalp in the English courts

Enjoying his legal victory, the tycoon called Achilleous a “brand thief” but claimed he only wanted to “uphold the rule of law.”

However, some have accused the billionaire of bullying tactics.

Last month easyfundraising, which provides technology to charities to raise money, vowed to fight back against a trademark lawsuit.

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