Trademark Loss for 161-Year-Old Insurer Shows Risk of Rebranding

An insurance company’s failed attempt to revive the term “Equitable” that it had used for over 150 years underscores the importance of continuously using a trademark and the risks of abandoning a well-established mark even for a short time, attorneys say.

AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. is appealing a preliminary injunction that a Utah federal court issued Jan. 21 after finding that the insurer abandoned “Equitable” from 2014-2017 during a brief re-brand to AXA. The court temporarily barred AXA from rebranding itself “Equitable,” saying it would cause confusion with the Equitable Life & Casualty Insurance Co.

The case shows how ...