EASY Car Rental has issued a counter claim against Easy Group, the operator of easyRentacar.com. The move comes after Easy Group, the firm run by entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou, also owner of easyJet, issued proceedings against several companies using the easy name, predominantly on the internet.

Richard Lowden, managing director of Eurodrive Car Rental, which includes Easy Car Rental, said it was defending the action because its product was launched in 1998 and had already built up an 'unprecedented level of interest' from customers.

It will bid to stop easyRentacar.com from using the 'easy' name. Last month, companies using the Easy name - Easy Car and Van Rental, Easy Autos, Easy Hire and Easi-Rent joined forces to form a protest group to keep the Easy name.