An Australian company which claims to be the original DoubleClick is suing the much better known DoubleClick Inc of the US for using its name without permission. A suit filed in the Federal Court of Australia by local web design and marketing business, Double Click Australia (DCA) says DoubleClick Inc and its Australian operations are also guilty of false and misleading conduct under various sections of the Trade Practices Act of 1974.
DCA’s founder, Clare Pienaar, said she registered the business name Double Click in 1987. When DoubleClick Inc launched in 1996, Ms Pienaar said she
approached the company to negotiate a sale of the name but received a frosty response. Since then, DoubleClick Inc has registered the business name in Australia and also went one step further, registering the name as a trademark on November 26, 1996.
Pienaar started legal action against DoubleClick Inc in February and expects the case to be heard next year. She is seeking damages and for DoubleClick Inc
to stop using the name.
Separately, in the US, DoubleClick Inc is suing a small Sydney rival, Sabela Media, for allegedly violating a patent lodged in the US by DoubleClick which gives the it an exclusive right to an internet technology known as adserving, which allows users to deliver, manage, measure and track online advertisements.
