Sports Direct "lost a trademark battle against a small online business despite claiming that the company, run by a husband and wife team, would confuse consumers about its burgeoning gym business," according to Ashley Armstrong of the London TELEGRAPH. Fitness Direct, which was started by Sandra and Faycal Makhloufi in '14, "sells sports equipment including dumbbells and kettlebells online." Sports Direct "launched a trademark suit against Fitness Direct and argued that the similarity of the names would lead to its small rival having an 'unfair advantage.'" Part of Sport Direct's argument was that "it had also launched SportsDirectFitness.com" in '14. Sports Direct Owner Mike Ashley "launched the chain of low-cost gyms" as part of his plan to "expand his empire." There are now 30 gyms "across the country after he bought sites from LA Fitness." Despite the apparent similarity between the two company names, the "trademark hearing officer dismissed Sports Direct’s attempt to stop Fitness Direct after highlighting that the two companies’ logos were different and the words were not unique" (TELEGRAPH, 3/22).
