Tax Preparer H&R Block Sues Block Over Rebranding From Square

The Jack Dorsey-run payments giant is infringing on the accounting firm’s family of trademarks, H&R Block claims.

Dec 16, 2021 at 5:55 p.m. UTC

Updated Dec 16, 2021 at 7:34 p.m. UTC

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 24: Am exterior view of H&R Block as the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States on March 24, 2020 in New York City. The World Health Organization declared coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic on March 11th. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Tanzeel Akhtar

Tanzeel Akhtar is a reporter based in London,UK.

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What’s in a name? In this case, a lawsuit.

Fintech and digital payments giant Block, Inc., formerly known as Square, is being sued by tax preparation services company H&R Block for trademark infringement.

Earlier this month, Square announced changing its name to Block to reflect changes to its business. The step may also be signaling the firm’s significant crypto ambitions.
On Thursday, H&R Block said it has filed a lawsuit against the Jack Dorsey-run Block, arguing that “the goodwill and brand identity that [H&R] Block has carefully cultivated and nurtured over the last 65 years is under attack by the Silicon Valley fintech company.”
H&R Block noted this new Block is a competitor in several financial services areas, including tax preparation via Block’s recent purchase of Credit Karma Tax, now called Cash App Taxes.
“Today’s filing is an important effort to prevent consumer confusion and ensure a competitor cannot leverage the reputation and trust we have built over more than six decades,” said H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Shares of Block were down 5.3% to $164.91 in trading Thursday.
Block did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment on the lawsuit.

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