Muzmatch Loses Appeal in Match Group Lawsuit

Muslim dating app Muzmatch has lost an appeal in its continuing legal battle with Match Group.

Match Group, which owns popular dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid, filed a lawsuit against Muzmatch to change its name due to striking similarities with its own brand. The judge in the appeal upheld the June 2022 ruling calling for Muzmatch to make the name change, and the company has recently complied, changing its name to Muzz per The Times of India.

The original ruling also found in favor of Match Group due to SEO (search engine optimization) issues. Having “match” in the app’s name would mean keywords comprising the word “match” would increase Muzmatch’s chances of appearing higher up in Google searches, which means Muzmatch would unfairly benefit from Match Group’s brand.

According to BBC, Muzmatch appealed when it lost the ruling last summer, stating that Match Group’s lawsuit was “deeply worrying for start-ups in the dating sector.” The app’s founder and chief executive Shahzad Younas maintained that Match Group was trying to subdue competition, and had even tried to purchase Muzmatch on four separate occasions to add to its suite of dating apps. He said at one point the dating app giant offered $35 million, which he turned down.

"It is clear to us that Match Group will do all they can to kill us with a view to them maintaining their near monopoly on the global dating market," Younas told the BBC.

Younas also told the BBC the case had cost the company almost $2 million in legal fees and damages, which has impacted its business. He added: "This is small change for a multi-billion dollar conglomerate such as Match Group, however, [it] is precious working capital for a start-up such as ours.”

Match Group did not comment on the acquisition discussion according to BBC, but did say "We've always known that Muzmatch has unfairly benefitted from our reputation and investment in our brands, and was unrightfully riding Match Group's coat-tails for its own gain.”

Match Group has fought legal battles over the years, including with the founder of its own star app Tinder. The former CEO Sean Rad argued that Match Group had undervalued the app during the merger, and he and other former Tinder employees sued and later settled with Match Group for $441 million in 2021.

Muzmatch was launched in 2015 and has continued to grow in popularity among Muslim singles. Match Group did acquire a Muslim dating app Hawaya, which it shut down in February of this year.