AXA Equitable Settles ‘Equitable Financial’ Trademark Case (1)

AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. settled claims with another insurance company that alleged its proposed name change to “Equitable Financial” would infringe trademarks.

A Utah federal court halted the name change in January based on likely confusion with Equitable Life & Casualty Insurance Co.

Although AXA Equitable was commonly known as “The Equitable” until AXA SA bought it, the court found it likely abandoned the “Equitable” mark after it took the AXA name. AXA sold most of its interest in the company in 2017 and rescinded AXA Equitable’s license to use the “AXA” name.

“Equitable Financial” was likely to cause ...