CoBank, a cooperative bank serving rural regions in the US, has filed a patent objection against a competitor app for having a similar name.
CoBank took issue with "GoBank", a mobile bank account run by Green Dot Bank and Bonneville Bank, which offers customers customisable Visa cards and no overdraft fees.
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US lender CoBank said the name "is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive" customers familiar with the CoBank brand.
It said customers may be misled "as to the source or origin of the goods and service" and "induce purchasers to believe that the goods and services of Applicant [GoBank] are those of Opposer [CoBank], or are endorsed by, or are in some way affiliated or associated with Opposer."
GoBank launched in January as an invite-only mobile account, and from 25 July opened to iPhone and iPod touch users in the US.
The brand has applied for trademark approval from the US Patent and Trademark Office, which CoBank is requesting the Office denies.
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By GlobalDataCoBank filed a formal notice of opposition on 15 August.
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