NATIONWIDE INFRINGED UPON’

To protect its name and trademark, Nationwide, an international insurance and financial services leader, filed a federal trademark infringement suit against Florida-based Nationwide Insurance Group Inc. and The Nationwide Companies. Nationwide filed for a preliminary injunction in Federal District Court in Columbus to stop the companies from using the Nationwide name and trademark in conjunction with the sale of insurance and other financial services products. The Florida-based companies only recently began offering a variety of financial and insurance services under the Nationwide mark, including via the Internet. In addition to stopping the use of its name, Nationwide is asking that the Florida-based companies surrender all copies of any materials bearing the Nationwide name for destruction; contact all state insurance regulatory bodies and advise them that they are not connected or affiliated with Nationwide; send each of their policyholders a letter advising that they are not connected with Nationwide; pay compensatory and treble damages to Nationwide; and turn over all domain names including the word Nationwide.