Do you see much of a connection between smart earbuds and fast smartphone charging? No? Bragi would beg to differ. The audio company has sued OnePlus in the European Union for allegedly infringing on its trademark for the Dash. According to Bragi, OnePlus is purposefully sowing confusion with the Dash Charge feature in its phones, which sounds similar to the Dash Charger case that tops up Bragi’s wireless earbuds.
Bragi is already in the midst of a federal lawsuit against OnePlus in the US. To back up its case, Bragi pointed out that both the US Patent and Trademark Office and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office had shot down OnePlus’ bid to register a Dash Charge trademark.
We’ve asked OnePlus for comment.
Is there much real-world confusion? Practically speaking, no. You probably aren’t expecting to get Bragi technology when you buy a OnePlus 6, just as you likely don’t think Bragi is using OnePlus technology to keep your earbuds charged. However, Bragi might feel compelled to sue regardless. There is a “use it or lose it” aspect to trademark law in some countries — if you don’t defend the trademarks you have, you risk losing the ability to enforce them. Bragi wouldn’t want to risk more companies using the Dash name and diluting its branding.
