Wex secures preliminary injunction against HP Inc.

WEX (WEX) has obtained a preliminary injunction to stop the infringing conduct of HP Inc. (HPQ) and Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. and to protect the WEX brand. Despite WEX’s decades of use of the WEX name, in March 2024, HP announced the launch of its own “WEX,” a misappropriation of WEX’s trademarks. WEX filed a federal lawsuit against HP on April 11, 2024, and moved for a preliminary injunction one day later. After hearing argument by the parties on July 1, 2024, Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. of the United States District Court for the District of Maine issued an opinion on July 9, 2024 granting in full the preliminary injunction against HP that WEX requested. As the Court held in ruling that WEX was likely to succeed on the merits of its claim that HP’s conduct infringed WEX’s trademarks, “the evidence favoring WEX is overwhelming.” “We are pleased that the Court recognized that HP’s use of the ‘WEX’ name would inevitably cause confusion in the marketplace, and put a stop to HP’s infringing conduct,” said Sara Trickett, Chief Legal Officer at WEX. “WEX is committed to protecting the WEX brand and our customers from the confusion caused by HP’s actions. We look forward to obtaining a permanent injunction at trial.”