A federal trademark dispute between a national insurance broker and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company is now before a California court after The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers filed suit over the carrier’s registration of the word “LIBERTY” for insurance-related services.
The lawsuit, filed May 6, 2026, in the US District Court for the Central District of California, accuses Liberty Mutual of attempting to restrict the broker’s long-standing use of the term after years of coexistence between the two companies.
The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, LLC, a Delaware-organized brokerage with offices across the United States, including Woodland Hills, California, is seeking a court declaration that its use of “Liberty” does not infringe on Liberty Mutual’s trademark rights. The brokerage also wants the court to cancel Liberty Mutual’s federal trademark registration for the standalone word “LIBERTY.”
According to the complaint, The Liberty Company has used “THE LIBERTY COMPANY” branding for nearly 40 years and has used “LIBERTY” independently in marketing materials for decades. The filing states that the brokerage has operated the domain libertycompany.com for more than 20 years and prominently features the word “LIBERTY” across its website, emails, advertisements, brochures, and videos. The company provides commercial insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, and related business services.
The complaint also details a prior dispute between the companies. According to the filing, Liberty Mutual sent a cease-and-desist letter to the broker in 2007 regarding the use of both “Liberty Company” and Statue of Liberty imagery. The broker alleges that the dispute ended with an agreement allowing continued use of “Liberty Company” on the condition that the brokerage stop using Statue of Liberty visuals. The filing further claims Liberty Mutual referenced the same understanding again in 2016.
In addition, the broker states that it placed millions of dollars in Liberty Mutual policies over the years.
The current dispute centers on Liberty Mutual’s trademark application for the word “LIBERTY,” filed in May 2017. The application covered “insurance underwriting services for all types of insurance; insurance consultancy; insurance information services; insurance administration.”
According to the complaint, trademark examiners initially raised concerns about possible confusion with other “Liberty” trademarks already registered. The filing says Liberty Mutual responded by arguing that the insurance market already contained multiple “Liberty” marks and that insurance buyers were sophisticated enough to distinguish between providers. The trademark registration was ultimately issued on Nov. 2, 2021.
The Liberty Company’s lawsuit alleges that Liberty Mutual claimed use of the standalone “LIBERTY” mark dating back to 1997 without disclosing the broker’s earlier use of the term. The complaint characterizes that conduct as fraud on the US Patent and Trademark Office.
The broker says tensions escalated again on April 8, 2026, when Liberty Mutual’s counsel sent another cease-and-desist letter stating the carrier “will no longer tolerate The Liberty Company’s use of the term ‘Liberty’ in its tradename or trademark for use in connection with insurance and related services.”
The Liberty Company is seeking cancellation of the trademark registration, monetary damages, and declarations that it is the senior user of “LIBERTY” for insurance-related services.
The allegations have not been tested in court. Liberty Mutual has not yet filed a response, and no ruling has been issued on the claims.
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