Although it has filed a trademark application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to change the name of its Dash Charge charging system to “Warp Charge,” OnePlus is still being sued by audio company Bragi.
The lawsuit has been filed in the European Union, and concerns the use of the word “dash” in OnePlus’s Dash Charger and the similarities with Bragi’s The Dash Pro headset and other products in The Dash range. This lawsuit isn’t a one-off, either — Bragi has filed another lawsuit against OnePlus over the same issue in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
OnePlus has been avoiding use of the term “Dash Charge” in its promotional material and software ever since it was denied a trademark in the EU in March due to similarities to other products. The trademark for “Warp Charge” was submitted to the EUIPO on July 13, but don’t expect an answer quickly. The trademark application for Dash Charge was begun when the OnePlus 3 was released in 2016, and the agency only got around to denying the application in March of this year.
Of course, it’s not a given that the trademark will be accepted yet, so it would be unwise for OnePlus to start the lengthy and expensive process of re-merchandising until the application is complete — but unless some major players within a similar industry pop up with another valid claim to the “Warp Charge” name, then it’s likely that the trademark will be accepted. We doubt a miniatures shop in Halifax has enough of a claim to block OnePlus here.
The charging method formerly known as Dash Charge has a strong history. It’s based on the VOOC charging tech developed by OnePlus’ owner, OPPO, and it increases ampage, rather than voltage, to deliver more power to a device. It’s considered one of the fastest methods of fast charging out there, and OnePlus was so proud of this feature that it designed an entire marketing campaign around it for the launch of the OnePlus 3T.
While the rejection of a trademark application didn’t hurt OnePlus too much, being sued by Bragi may have a larger impact.
Updated on 21 September, 2018: Bragi has filed a lawsuit against OnePlus’s use of the term “dash.”
