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August 21, 2001 at 08:00 PM
NU Online News Service, Aug. 21, 5:16 p.m. – Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio, has filed a suit in U.S. District Court in Columbus to stop The Nationwide Companies Inc., Davie, Fla., from using the Nationwide name when selling insurance and other financial products.
The small, 2-year-old marketing club markets Medicare supplement insurance and a health care discount cards to “Team Nationwide” members through an affiliate, Nationwide Insurance Group Inc.
Other affiliates that use the Nationwide name, Nationwide Automotive Group Inc. and Nationwide Travel Services Inc., sell club members products such as vitamins and cruises.
Nationwide Mutual is asking the federal court in Columbus for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Florida company from using the Nationwide name.
Nationwide Mutual is also asking that the Florida company surrender all copies of any materials bearing the Nationwide name for destruction; contact all state insurance regulatory bodies and advise them that they are not connected or affiliated with Nationwide; send each of their policyholders a letter advising that they are not connected with Nationwide; pay compensatory and treble damages to Nationwide; and turn over all Internet domain names that include the word Nationwide.
“Nationwide’s name and trademark are our greatest assets, on which we have built the trust and respect of our customers over many years,” Nationwide Mutual spokesman John Cook said in a statement. “Another company in the same industry doing business under the Nationwide name is misleading to our customers and creates confusion in the marketplace.”
