Scottish financial expert Craig Alexander Rattray has called for stronger government protection for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in legal disputes with large corporations following his own trademark dispute with the multi-billion dollar accounting firm Xero.
Rattray, founder of financial education program Know Your Numbers®, claims that Xero’s use of a name “strikingly similar” to its registered trademark showed how difficult – and expensive – it is for smaller companies to defend their intellectual property.
Legal advice says Rattray has a good case, but given the estimated legal costs of up to £750,000, he says it would be impossible for most SMEs to bring a claim.
“What good is a brand if it costs so much to defend?” he said. “We have done everything by the book to protect our brand, but the system is not designed to support smaller businesses when something like this happens.”
Rattray is calling on the government to explore simplified legal processes, subsidized support and faster dispute resolution for small businesses defending intellectual property rights.
“Small businesses do the right thing – they build something unique, register it and follow the rules,” he said. “But when a large company with large financial resources comes along and uses something similar, we are locked out of the system that is supposed to protect us.”
“We need a better framework – be it subsidized legal aid, streamlined mediation or a dedicated fund to help SMEs enforce their rights. Otherwise, what’s the point of registering your intellectual property if only large companies can afford to defend it?”
At the heart of the dispute is Xero’s Know Your Numbers initiative, which launched in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year and recently rolled out in the UK. Rattray is the owner of the registered UK trademark “Know Your Numbers®” in the financial education and training sector.
He founded the brand four years ago and built a trusted financial education platform that helps thousands of small business owners understand their finances through workshops, podcasts, video content and two published books.
“We have built a recognized brand that makes a real difference for business owners,” Rattray said. “When we saw a multi-billion dollar company use the same name for a similar initiative, we were taken aback – especially given the values it claims to promote.”
Following the legal correspondence, Xero noted Rattray’s cease and desist letter and made a minor adjustment – changing its branding to “Xero’s Know Your Numbers” – but no agreement was reached.
While Rattray remains confident in his legal position, he says the cost barrier effectively prevents smaller companies from seeking justice.
“Xero positions itself as a champion of small businesses,” he said. “But this feels less like healthy competition and more like being sidelined by a company with far greater resources.
They offer a free program under the same name and that directly impacts what we have worked so hard on.”
A spokesperson for Xero said: “I’m afraid we are unable to comment on this matter at this time.”
Rattray’s experience highlights the broader challenge SMEs face in protecting intellectual property from global corporations. Business groups and legal experts have long warned that complex and costly trademark disputes prevent entrepreneurs from enforcing their rights.
As the government continues to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, Rattray believes intellectual property protection must be part of a broader SME-friendly agenda.
“This isn’t just about a single business,” he said. “It’s about protecting thousands of small business owners who are doing the right thing but can’t afford to fight back when big companies go too far.”
