Clear accused of "unfair competitive advantage"

Sony Ericsson has filed a lawsuit against Clearwire, accusing the latter company of trademark infringement. The court filing, which was submitted to the US District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia, argues that Clearwire's "sphere with swirl marks" is "confusingly similar" to Sony Ericsson's collection of logos.

Clearwire reportedly agreed to stop using a different swirl logo after an earlier dispute, however the company has continued to advertise with the green sphere logo. Although both companies compete in different niches of the mobile communications market, Sony Ericsson points out that Clear has announced plans to enter the smartphone market as a direct competitor sometime in the future.

"While Sony Ericsson welcomes competition on the merits from Clearwire, Clearwire's use of logos that are strikingly and confusingly similar to Sony Ericsson's recognized, federally registered logos is illegal and should be enjoined," the filing reads. [via Northwest Innovation]

By Electronista Staff