Barclays Bank of Kenya (BBK) is embroiled in a Trademark dispute with
ABSA Kenya Limited which is seeking to permanently restrain Barclays from adopting Absa as a trade name following recent changes in the bank’s ownership at the continental level.
ABSA Kenya, which was incorporated in 2005, says it reserved the name with the Registrar of Trademarks for exclusive use and that it has incurred huge financial losses since Barclays announced plans to rebrand.
But in its response, BBK says Absa Bank Limited (South Africa), a sister company, applied for registration of the name at the Registrar of Trademarks and was granted permission on September 20, 2016.