Zippo Manufacturing was granted a preliminary injunction that bars a European distributor from using the Blu trademark in Germany, giving the lighter maker a victory in its legal battle against Lorillard and Blu eCigs, the company said.

A regional court in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, ruled Cygnet UK Trading, another Lorillard unit, could not use the Blu brand on e-cigarettes sold in the country, Zippo said. In May, Zippo filed a suit in California seeking to stop the LOEC Lorillard subsidiary from selling Blu eCigs. Zippo said it was the first to trademark Blu, the name given a line of butane lighters. Zippo also has taken action to protect its Blu trademark in Canada, Mexico and elsewhere in the European Union, the company said.
A Swedish court has rejected Lorillard’s trademark application, according to Zippo. Blu would be sold to Imperial Tobacco as part of the bid for Lorillard announced by Reynolds American in July.