Oracle Corp again sues crypto firm for alleged trademark infringement

Software development giant Oracle Corporation has again filed suit against crypto startup Crypto Oracle LLC and its proprietor, accusing them of violating its trademark and disregarding prior legal agreements.

On November 25th, in a California federal court, Oracle filed its complaint against Crypto Oracle and Louis Kerner, alleging that they "resumed their violation of Oracle's trademark rights" and were "egregiously and flagrantly violating" a settlement agreement.

The software giant initially initiated proceedings against the crypto firm in 2019, accusing it of "using Oracle's famous trademark as part of their 'CryptoOracle' brand and using that brand to market cryptocurrency-related services to Oracle's own customers and users."

A confidential settlement was reached between the two firms, and in 2020, the court issued a permanent injunction prohibiting Crypto Oracle from using the "CryptoOracle" name or any variation of the Oracle trademark.

However, Oracle now claims that Crypto Oracle and Kerner have resumed using the 'CryptoOracle' name and branding, launched new ventures, maintained the infringing domain name, and hosted events under the "CryptoOracle Collective" brand in violation of the settlement agreement and court injunction.

Oracle's complaint includes accusations of trademark infringement, unfair competition, dilution of its trademark, cybersquatting, breach of the settlement agreement, and civil contempt of court. The company seeks injunctive relief, monetary damages, statutory penalties, attorney fees, and the transfer or removal of infringing domains and branding.

Kerner did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment, and information on Crypto Oracle's legal representation is not currently available.

Legal disputes involving crypto companies and trademarks are not uncommon. In February 2023, NanoLabs filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against crypto exchange Coinbase over its Nano Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts. In 2022, the Dfinity Foundation, the nonprofit behind the Internet Computer blockchain, filed suit against Facebook's parent company Meta, alleging trademark infringement over its infinity logo.