WICHITA, Kan. -Intrust Financial Corp., formerly First National Bank of Wichita, has filed suit against Entrust Financial CU, claiming the small Virginia credit union is infringing on a trademark and service mark it registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
In a suit filed in federal court last week, Intrust Financial, which paid $8.75 million to post its name on Wichita's 15,000-seat Intrust Bank Arena, said it has paid substantial resources to develop and protect the service mark and trademark it registered and obtained approval from the Patent and Trademark Office. It said the $60-million Richmond, Va., CU is confusing consumerss with a website that says it serves anyone around the U.S., including the bank's core Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas markets.
The trademark dispute is the latest pitting similarly named competing institutions against each other, following a lawsuit between Schools FCU and SchoolsFirst FCU; Partners FCU and Partners CU; and, Members 1st FCU against two local banks that used its trademarked "M."
In the latest dispute, Intrust Financial said the similarity of the Virginia credit union's trademark and name "is likely to cause confusion, mistakes or deception of the public." It asked the court for an unusual remedy of ordering the credit union to pay damages, to cease using the name Entrust and order the credit union to deliver to it for destruction all marketing and promotional materials and signs that contain the word Entrust.
Susan Adams, president of Entrust, said her credit union only serves Christian-based organizations in Richmond and does not serve the bank's Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas markets.
"It is my understanding that Intrust Financial is a Kansas-based bank and they reportedly serve communities in Kansas," said Adams. "We have not seen the lawsuit that the bank filed against the credit union. My credit union has remained focused on church and Christian organizations for over 41 years."
