Brief: US insurance company forces Singaporean startup to change its logo

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The news:

• Singaporean insurance marketplace PolicyPal is facing a legal threat from US insurance company Travelers over its logo. Both logos depict umbrellas, albeit in different colors and designs.
• The startup has received two legal notices from the US firm, founder and CEO Val Jishuan Yap says. PolicyPal will change its logo, as it does not have the resources for a protracted legal battle.

Why it matters:

• Travelers is one of the largest US-headquartered insurance companies, with a history reaching back to the 1800s. PolicyPal is not the first company to feel the wrath of its legal department – Travelers has gone after many other firms who use an umbrella-like logo, including UK startup Brolly, insurance company Legal & General, and Alaskan firm HR Umbrella.
• The incident highlights how defenseless smaller companies are against lawsuits from larger companies. For startups that lack extensive legal resources, there is usually little choice but to concede.

Source: e27.