On July 16, Cascade Financial Corp. and Cascade Bank filed suit in the Western District against Issaquah Community Bank, Capitol Bankcorp., Ltd., and Robert Ittes, over defendants’ alleged plan to use the infringing mark, ISSAQUAH COMMUNITY BANK.
Cascade alleges that Mr. Ittes founded Issaquah Bank in 1992. Issaquah Bank opened its second branch in 1997. Thereafter, it registered the domain names issaquah-bank.com and issaquahbank.com. It also obtained a Washington trademark registration for ISSAQUAH BANK, together with its logo and the tagline, “Your Community Bank.”
Cascade states it is a community bank that offers a full range of financial services to business and consumer clients through its twenty branches located throughout King and Snohomish Counties, and through its website, www.cascadebank.com.
Cascade alleges it acquired Issaquah Bank in 2004. After the merger, it claims Issaquah Bank operated as the “Issaquah Bank Division of Cascade Bank,” with Mr. Ittes serving as its president. In April 2005, Mr. Ittes left Issaquah Bank Division of Cascade Bank. Cascade claims, on information and belief, that defendants now intend to start a new bank using the ISSAQUAH COMMUNITY BANK name and mark. Cascade believes the new bank will offer substantially the same services and will directly compete with Cascade. It alleges that consumers will be confused between the parties’ names and marks.
Defendants have not yet answered the complaint.
The case cite is Cascade Financial Corp. v. Issaquah Community Bank, No. 07-1106 (W.D. Wash.).