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MetLife Inc. has said Brighthouse Financial, the name of the company into which it intends to separate its U.S. retail business, reflects an optimistic outlook on what it will create for customers' financial futures. But for one of the life insurer's competitors, the use of the name allegedly carries different implications.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans on Sept. 12 filed a trademark infringement suit against MetLife Insurance Co. USA seeking an order restraining the defendant from using the Brighthouse Financial name and an unspecified amount of monetary damages as the Minneapolis-based fraternal benefit society alleged that it is likely to cause confusion with the Brightpeak Financial brand it has been using since 2016.
The Brightpeak Financial website markets term life, disability and individual annuity products from Thrivent Financial and an "emergency savings account" and student loan refinancing from Thrivent Federal Credit Union to Christian millennials. The fraternal benefit society said it owns several trademark registrations related to the Brightpeak Financial name and logo, covering the underwriting of life insurance, disability insurance and annuities as well as financial planning, consultation and management services.
"Thrivent Financial has invested significant resources in...