Cebu Pacific secures Malaysian court order barring MOVE from selling its tickets

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific has secured a favorable ruling from a Malaysian high court against Move Travel Sdn. Bhd., the operator of AirAsia MOVE, barring the travel platform from selling its flights and using its trademarks without authorization.

The ruling by the High Court of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur was disclosed by Cebu Pacific in a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

The court found that MOVE was liable for passing off after ruling that it was not entitled to use the Cebu Pacific and CebGo trademarks or distribute, offer for sale, or sell the Philippine budget carrier's flights bearing those trademarks without Cebu Pacific's authorization.

The court also issued an injunction restraining MOVE from using the Cebu Pacific and CebGo trademarks and from selling the airline's tickets through its booking platform.

In addition, the court ordered MOVE to pay RM120,000 (about P1.81 million) in legal costs to Cebu Pacific.

"The Court also awarded damages to Cebu Pacific, the quantum of which will be assessed in separate proceedings," the airline said.

GMA News Online has reached out to MOVE for comment. This story will be updated once a response is received.

The ruling stemmed from Cebu Pacific's lawsuit filed before the Malaysian High Court in June 2024, seeking to stop MOVE from using its trademarks and from distributing, offering for sale, or selling flight tickets bearing the Cebu Pacific and CebGo trademarks without its authorization.

"Cebu Pacific has never authorized MOVE to use the Cebu Pacific and CebGo trademarks or to distribute or sell its flight tickets through the platform," the airline said.

The carrier added that it remains supportive of travel platforms and partners that use the Cebu Pacific and CebGo trademarks, "provided that they do so with Cebu Pacific's proper authorization."— MCG, GMA News