Ecotricity green flag legal row settled

Mr Vince said people may "confuse" his company's logo with that used by the government

The government has agreed to stop using a green flag design similar to the logo for the electricity firm Ecotricity.

The green union flag was used in 2018 to promote the government initiative "Green GB week".

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince began legal action, saying his company's logo was similar and his rights were being infringed.

But the government settled out of court with the Stroud-based firm and agreed to not use the green flag again.

A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) spokesman said: "After mutual agreement between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Ecotricity Group Limited in relation to Ecotricity's registered trademark rights for a green union jack flag, BEIS will no longer use, or license for use, the Green GB & NI Week branding used in 2018.

"Stakeholders looking to be involved in and support Green GB & NI Week 2020 should consult the BEIS Green GB & NI website for the latest guidance."

Mr Vince said: "We've got intellectual property rights in the green union jack.

"We've been using it for well over a decade and the government used it in the Green Britain campaign a couple of summers ago.

"We asked them not to as it was in danger of misrepresenting our position.

"We felt that was a 'green-washing' event given the government's record on the environment and, in any event, it was going to confuse people because it was our flag."