Websites unite to make legal protests Easy

As he took out full page ads against Barclays, they have set up a website, easyprotest.com, to share information and tactics and publicise their battle against the EasyGroup's attempt to legally suppress their more or less established sites.

The new site has been timed to coincide with the run-up to the float of EasyJet.

EasyGroup confirmed that it is in litigation with EasyCar.com and Easyshop.co.uk, a lingerie-buying website, and said that it would continue its policy to protect its brand through the courts.

EasyCar was founded in June 1998 - long before EasyRentacar was set up this year. Richard Lowden, managing director of EasyCar, said: "We even wrote to them pointing out the potential conflict with our brand."

The EasyGroup is understood to have sent lawyers letters warning off another 30 or more sites, although the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) which rules on domain name conflicts has turned down all of EasyGroup's protests so far.