Update: easyGroup label Easy Life frontman Murray Matravers a “brand thief” in latest statement
On October 2nd, the Leicestershire indie band Easy Life alleged that they were being sued by Easy Jet over naming rights. However, easyGroup have since clarified that they are the company pursuing the legal claim.
In a statement provided to Far Out, easyGroup explained: “With reference to the brand thief Mr Matravers and his fellow band members who have decided to use our brand, easyLife without permission. We have a long established record of legally stopping thieves from using our brands and I am confident we will stop Mr Matravers.”
Easy Jet had previously contacted us to explain: “To be clear easyGroup are a separate corporation and not our parent/holding company, they are just our licensor and a shareholder.”
The claim lodged with the courts reads: “The Claimant is the private investment vehicle of Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou (Sir Stelios), the well-known entrepreneur and founder of the airline easyJet (easyJet).”
Continuing: “The Claimant owns, runs and/or licences numerous brands of a large number of enterprises in a broad range of businesses, all of which trade under a name comprising of the word ‘easy’ followed by a word or words appropriate to their field of operation.”
Concluding: “Those businesses are referred to herein as ‘the Easy Family’. For the reasons set out further below, the trade of those businesses has led to the Claimant owning the Easy Family of Marks Reputation. For reasons of proportionality, not all businesses said to comprise the Easy Family are particularised herein.”
Easy Life have said that they are not in a financial position to be able to fight this claim. Their initial statement read: “Okay… never imagined having to do this, but we’ve not choice but to address the situation we find ourselves in. As some of you have already discovered, we are being sued.”
Their message continued: “Easy Jet are suing us for being called Easy Life. They’re forcing us to change our name or take up a legal battle which we could never afford. We’ve worked hard to establish our brand, and I’m certain in no way have we affected their business,” the band who formed in 2017 wrote.
Adding: “Although we find the whole situation hilarious, we are virtually powerless against such a massive corporation. I don’t really know what else to say, will keep you updated.”
We have reached out to the band and easyGroup for further comment on the matter.
Update: Easy Life have responded with a timeline detailing its history, including their first use of the name “Easy Life”, the release of their first single, and their signing to a major label. The timeline directly contradicts easyGroup’s claim that their application for a trademark predated the band’s use of the name.
In a response on the band’s Twitter page, Easy Life points out that easyGroup applied for a trademark application for the term “Easy Life” in 2022, seven years after the band played their first show at Bodega Nottingham.
“Sorry, who is the brand thief here?” the band wrote in the response.
Easy Life has continued to use social media as its main tool to fight against the potential lawsuit. As detailed in their previous statements, the group feel that they can not afford a lengthy legal battle and are attempting to keep their name through increased public awareness over the lawsuit they face.
Check out the band’s most recent response down below.
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