Not so easy when it comes to agency branding

Last week's EAT story about Cornish agent Chris Wood's analysis of the local sales performance of an online agency and its high street rivals went down well with readers but struck a raw nerve with the new easyProperty agency.

The full version of the analysis - which appeared on the website of Wood's agency, PDQ Property - did not identify the online agency but nick-named it EasyPeasy.

However, when easyProperty spotted the reference - even though Wood made it clear in a range of online comments that the agency he was analysing was not easyProperty itself - there followed a prime example of vigorous brand protection.

We as you are aware operate the brand easyProperty and take our brand and brand reputation very seriously. You could have used any name - brand xyz - however you chose to use the a brand name very close to ours and we would like to understand why as we can only assume it is an attempt to damage our brand and reputation Chris Welch, chief marketing officer for easyProperty, wrote on Property Industry Eye.

Wood then retorted online: EasyPeasy is, in fact, I have since discovered a trading name of a genuine estate agency company in London; perhaps you will wish to contact them

The dialogue continued with Welch stating: Just because you say in your article no inference should be made nor was it intended, it is no defence in law. Did you take legal advice before publishing

Yesterday Wood relented to the pressure, telling Estate Agent Today: It's quite laughable really. He changed his blog's online agency nick-name to Hapless.

On easy.com, the portal site of all easyGroup companies, there is a substantial section called Brand Thieves which sets out the group's vigorous defence of its brand.

The section begins with the statement: Some people think they can make a fast buck by stealing our name and our reputation. They set up websites and companies using the name 'easy' (or phonetic versions of it) which can either pay a passing resemblance to an easyGroup company or be a direct copy. Sometimes these people ask us for money, sometimes they just hope consumers will think they are an easyGroup company and will part with their money.

Much of the rest of the section is given over to examples of legal action against non-easyGroup firms using the easy name or variations on its theme.