WeWork files complaint against UrWork for trademark infringement, unfair competition
WeWork, the behemoth co-work company valued at $20 billion, has filed a complaint with New York’s Southern District Court, alleging that China-based UrWork is guilty of trademark infringement.
The argument is that UrWork is a name that is far too similar to WeWork given that both companies operate in the co-working industry.
UrWork is reported have a valuation over $1 billion, having raised nearly $165 million from investors like Sequoia, ZhenFund, and Aikang Group.
The company says it has more than 100 spaces overall, with one in Singapore and the rest in China. WeWork, on the other hand, has only six locations in China.
Moreover, UrWork recently announced a partnership with Serendipity Labs (another co-working space) to open a co-branded location in Manhattan’s Financial District. The company also has plans to open a Los Angeles location and a San Francisco location in the near future, according to the complaint.
Alongside trademark infringement, WeWork is also including false designation of origin and unfair competition to its complaint, which you can check out in full below.
A WeWork spokesperson had this to say:
WeWork has invested substantial time and money building a superior brand to ensure that our brand name is uniquely associated with WeWork and its offerings. UrWork has no physical presence and no brand equity in the United States, so there is no reason for them to enter our home market with such a confusingly similar name.
WeWork will be bringing similar action against UrWork in the UK and the European Union in the future.