Qantas Airways’ insurance business could be forced to rebrand over a trademark spat.
The Qantas Assure name has stoked the ire of employment services company Ingeus which has traded under the brand name Assure since 2002.
It argues Qantas Assure, which offers health, life and income insurance as an expansion of its loyalty division, is too similar to its own product range of employee wellbeing support services.
Ingeus has filed a complaint in the Federal Court of New South Wales seeking a halt to Qantas using the Assure name and to pay compensation.
It alleges Qantas is marketing almost identical services such as employee assistance programmes, among other products.
Ingeus was founded by the wife of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
"We have spent a lot of time and resources to build a brand we can be proud of, and so naturally we wish to protect that brand," an Ingeus spokesperson said.
"We are concerned that, by Qantas’ use of ‘Qantas Assure’ for health and wellbeing services, people will believe that we at Assure are in a partnership with Qantas when in fact we are not."
Ingeus may have a tough challenge ahead as Qantas revealed it secured a trademark for the business.
"Earlier this year the Registrar of Trade Marks found in favour of Qantas. We will now defend the appeal in the Federal Court," it said in a statement.
Qantas partnered with health insurer NIB to launch Assure to tap its database of 12 million frequent flyers for additional non-air products and services.
