ASHEBORO, N.C.-A local bank has filed a trademark infringement suit against Truliant FCU and asked a federal court to bar the CU from using its "Yes you can" service mark on billboards and other advertisements.
CommunityONE Bank, known until recently as First National Bank and Trust, said it purchased rights to the "Yes you can" service mark, as registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in 1999 from Crestar Bank. Its "Jack" logo resembles a jumping jack.
Truliant, which is a competitor of CommunityONE, is using the "Yes you can" phrase and a sun logo that the bank says resembles the Jack logo, on at least two billboards which direct viewers to the credit union's website, TruDifferences.org, according to the suit. Both signs have been taken down while the suit is pending.
The CommunityONE ads read: "Yes you can. The Power of Positive Banking." The Truliant billboards read: "Yes You Can Join Truliant!"
The bank is asking the court to assess monetary damages to recover any losses of profits and to treble the damages.
