The Travelers Cos. will continue to showcase its iconic bright, red umbrella logo in advertising and corporate materials. But so, apparently, will its British rival get to keep displaying its rainbow-colored bumbershoot.
According to Connecticut federal court records, a judge on March 16 ordered dismissal of a civil lawsuit (3:2013cv01737) that Travelers Indemnity Co. filed in November 2013 against Legal & General Group Plc, one of England’s leading property-casualty insurers and pension and investment managers-advisors with major U.S. operations based in Baltimore.
Travelers claimed L&G’s multi-hued umbrella logo too closely resembled the fire-engine red parasol that has been the New York insurer’s brand designator dating almost back to Travelers’ founding in 1864 in Hartford to insure business travelers.
According to federal court records, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer granted a stipulated dismissal for all claims and counterclaims with prejudice, meaning the matter cannot be brought back before the court.
Through spokesmen, both Travelers and L&G would only confirm the settlement, but declined to disclose any terms.
L&G units Banner Life, William Penn Life Insurance of New York and Legal & General Investment Management America Inc. were among a half dozen other co-defendants because their parent’s umbrella logo appears on their homepages, in online advertising and elsewhere.
“We reached a mutually acceptable and amicable settlement,” Legal & General spokesman Richard King said.
Attorneys for parties in the case did not respond to requests for comment.
The settlement does not appear to affect Legal & General’s use of its rainbow-colored parasol, which is still visible on Legal & General’s corporate homepage, as well as that of its Banner Life Insurance affiliate.
According to court papers, Legal & General, in its formal answer to the suit, conceded that both insurers “have engaged in” negotiations “over a period of several years” regarding their umbrella logos.
Travelers’ red umbrella also was visible last week on a number of its sponsored homepages and online advertising.
L&G also pointed to a Feb. 16, 1999 letter agreement between the pair that “bars Travelers from asserting any trademark claims against” L&G and its insurance affiliates.
L&G further claimed, papers show, that “constitutes consent by Travelers to defendants’ use.”
— Gregory Seay
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