Muslim dating app Muzz loses appeal in trademark-infringement case against Tinder owner

Muzz has been ordered to change its logo after the Court of Appeal upheld Match Group's claim that it was too similar to its own brands

Muzz, a dating app for Muslims, lost its appeal against Match Group in a trademark-infringement case

The Muslim dating app Muzz — formerly known as Muzmatch — has lost an appeal against Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, in a trademark-infringement case.

Match Group alleged that Muzz's logo was too similar to that of Tinder and that its use was likely to cause confusion among consumers and dilute Tinder's brand identity.

A court ruled against Muzz, stating that the similarity of the logos was likely to cause confusion and that Muzz must stop using its current logo and pay a fine to Match Group.

Muzz, which was launched in 2015, describes itself as a Muslim-focused dating app that helps people find serious relationships. According to its website, the app has more than three million members in more than 190 countries.

Match Group is the parent company of several other popular dating apps, including Tinder, OkCupid, and Plenty of Fish.

The company has a history of aggressively protecting its trademarks. In 2017, it sued Bumble, a rival dating app, for trademark infringement. The case was eventually settled out of court.

Muzz founder Shahzad Younas said he was disappointed with the court's decision.

“We believe that the court's decision is wrong and that our logo does not infringe on Match Group's trademark,” he said in a statement. “We are considering our options, including an appeal.”

The ruling is a setback for Muzz, which has been growing rapidly in recent years. The app has been praised for its focus on helping Muslim singles to find serious relationships.

However, the ruling could make it more difficult for Muzz to compete with Tinder and other larger dating apps.

The case has reportedly cost Muzz “almost $2 million in legal fees and damages” which Mr Younas described as “precious working capital for a start-up such as ours”.

Match Group, on the other hand, is a multibillion-dollar conglomerate, which has faced legal action over the valuation of Tinder and failed to acquire Bumble, a dating app where women “make the first move”.