H&R Block wants to knock Jack Dorsey's "Block" off over a copyright conflict.
The tax advice provider H&R Block is suing Block, Jack Dorsey's financial tech company, accusing it of infringing on its copyright. The tax preparation company claims Block's name and logo are nearly identical to its own, according to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri on Thursday. The complaint seeks to stop Block from using the name and logo, as well as three times the damages or profits that Block may have made using the name.
"The goodwill that Block has so carefully created and nurtured over the past six decades is now under attack by a Silicon Valley fintech company," the complaint argues, according to a copy acquired by the Washington Examiner.
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Dorsey's Block is a "relatively new Silicon Valley business" and "does not have the kind of history or reputation for trust and reliability that [H&R] Block has enjoyed for more than 65 years," the lawsuit argues.
This change has reportedly confused employees already, H&R Block claims.
"In the two weeks since Block, Inc. [formerly Square, Inc.] changed its name to Block, Inc. and became known as BLOCK, there has been significant discussion on social media reflecting actual or potential confusion. ... Even employees in the Block, Inc. family of companies recognized the risk of confusion. For example, one of those employees tweeted: '…Now, I'm pretty sure folks are now going to think I work for H&R Block," the filing says.
The complaint argues it is "inevitable" that more confusion and deception will occur because of similar names.
"Today's filing is an important effort to prevent consumer confusion and ensure a competitor cannot leverage the reputation and trust we have built over more than six decades," said Jeff Jones, H&R Block president and CEO, in a press release. "Protecting and defending our brand is crucial."
H&R Block currently owns U.S. trademark registrations for "H&R Block," "Blockworks," "Block Advisors," and other related names. While it does not own the trademark for "Block," according to the Wall Street Journal, the company believes its established use of the name provides certain rights.
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Block changed its name from Square after its CEO, Jack Dorsey, left his role at Twitter in early December. The name change alludes to Dorsey's interest in blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrency, as well as nonfungible tokens.
Block did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.