Finnish steelmaker Rautaruukki (or Ruukki) has denounced Ruukki Group Plc for using its ‘Ruukki' trademark, stating that it initiated legal proceedings in December 2009 to end infringement of the use of its Ruukki name.
According to a company statement, Rautaruukki initiated legal action in Helsinki District Court against Ruukki Group Plc and its subsidiaries because Ruukki Group Plc has, not withstanding earlier legal proceedings won by Rautaruukki, subsequently expanded its operations into Rautaruukki's business areas such as minerals and mining as well as in building construction. The legal action brought by Ruukki Group to quash these proceedings is an expected counteraction which Rautaruukki considers unjustified, the company said.
"The expansion of Ruukki Group's operations into our main business areas has consequently resulted in considerable confusion both in the media and among Rautaruukki's investors and customers," says Olli Huuskonen, Rautaruukki's general counsel.
Rautaruukki has been using the Ruukki name since the 1970s, in a number of products and product groups including Ruukki roofs and Ruukki ready-painted products. Rautaruukki's Ruukki trademark is registered or its registration is pending in a total of 95 countries.
In the Finnish district court, court of appeal and market court, Rautaruukki has won earlier cases in matters concerning use of name brought by Ruukki Group Plc, which in all cases was ordered to compensate Rautaruukki's legal costs.