Wex files trademark infringement lawsuit against HP Inc.

WEX (WEX) has filed a federal lawsuit against HP Inc. (HPQ) and Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. for infringing its trademarks. According to the lawsuit, WEX has created a powerful ecosystem that offers seamlessly embedded, personalized solutions for its customers around the world. Through its rich data and specialized expertise in simplifying benefits, reimagining mobility, and facilitating paying and getting paid, WEX aims to make it easy for companies to overcome complexity and reach their full potential. These services are offered under WEX’s well-known and distinctive WEX family of trademarks. On March 7, 2024, HP announced the launch of its own “WEX,” a misappropriation of WEX’s trademarks. Like WEX’s platform offerings, HP’s “WEX” is a platform that aims to supply businesses with innovative solutions to their everyday workforce problems. HP’s “WEX” is marketing to a similar customer base as WEX, which is inevitably causing confusion in the marketplace. Both WEX and HP’s “WEX” are promoting their respective software as being customer-driven, providing data, assisting in fleet management, increasing productivity, utilizing AI, and reducing friction. WEX has been using the name WEX since 1989 and formally rebranded to WEX in 2012. It holds several federally registered trademarks for WEX, covering software-as-a-service. WEX holds five incontestable trademark registrations protecting use of the WEX name for services that HP’s “WEX” is attempting to mirror, claiming services in the same classes as the registered WEX trademarks. WEX tried to resolve this dispute amicably, but HP refused to stop its use of the WEX name. WEX was therefore forced to file this lawsuit. WEX intends to seek a preliminary injunction to force HP to immediately discontinue all further infringement of the WEX trademark.