Easy name curry house climbs down

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The curry house originally fought the ban, but agreed to the change after legal advice

A new Indian restaurant has agreed to change its name after the international business Easygroup threatened action in the High Court.

Easygroup claimed the Northampton-based restaurant Easycurry was copying its brand and they planned to prosecute.

Spokesman Naz Uddin said Easycurry had taken legal advice, was backing down and would soon rename the restaurant.

Anthony Robb-John, managing director of Easygroup, said: "We won't let the public be misled."

Mr Uddin said: "In one way or another I was inspired by Easyjet but I was not necessarily copying them.

We do not hold ourselves out as owning 'easy' but we do own lots of trademarks Anthony Robb-John, Easygroup

"We're changing the name but do they have a pay-as-you-eat restaurant like ours? Do they have a brand like this?"

The restaurant opened four weeks ago and allows customers to pay £5 and then whatever else they think their meal is worth - with no maximum or minimum amount.

"All we're trying to do is to give people the opportunity to eat out in the current difficult economical climate," Mr Uddin said.

Mr Robb-John, of Luton-based Easygroup, said: "We do not hold ourselves out as owning 'easy' but we do own lots of trademarks.

"If people are using those names then we will take the appropriate court action."

In 2003, Easygroup settled out of court over the use of the name Easypizza.co.uk by a London takeaway after discovering the business had been in operation since 1997 - seven years before the Easygroup company Easypizza was launched.

And an action taken against the use of internet art seller Easyart's domain name was later dropped.

But Easygroup's website carries a warning to anyone who wants to copy its approach pledging it will fight against anyone trading off its success.

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