Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s easyGroup has abandoned its High Court action against a north London takeaway pizza business over the use of the name EasyPizza.

EasyPizza, owned by Karl Kahn, has been trading under that name since 1997, operating in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.

Kahn received an offer from easyGroup for the EasyPizza name in 2003, which he rejected. Stelios’ group then launched its own easyPizza in 2004.

After a three-year legal dispute, a claim for copyright infringement was settled out of court, with easyGroup being ordered to pay the £135,000 costs. EasyPizza can continue using the name.

David Hansel of Memery Crystal represented EasyPizza and said: “EasyGroup cannot claim a monopoly over trading names beginning with the word ‘easy’. This applies even where they have obtained a registered trade mark, but are seeking to stop an earlier trader from using the ‘easy’ name.”