"The Ratners name is owned by the Signet Group and use of that name by a competitor is bound to cause confusion in the marketplace, " Signet said on Friday.

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Signet Jewelers, the best performer in the group during 2010, is down 26 percent over the past 3 years.

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Mr Ratner then left the company and the group - which included H Samuel and Ernest Jones - was eventually rebranded as Signet.

BBC: Ratner loses battle for name