A major legal battle has erupted in the fragrance industry as cosmetics powerhouse Estee Lauder takes British perfumer Jo Malone to court over naming rights, according to Thursday reports from the Financial Times.
The dispute stems from Estee Lauder’s 1999 acquisition of Malone’s original perfume company, a deal that included purchasing the commercial rights to use the entrepreneur’s name. After departing from Estee Lauder in 2006, Malone established a fresh fragrance venture called “Jo Loves” five years later in 2011.
According to the Financial Times, Wednesday’s lawsuit targets the appearance of “Jo Malone” on Jo Loves product packaging being sold through Zara’s United Kingdom operations.
The legal action accuses Malone of violating her original contract, infringing on trademark protections, and engaging in “passing off” – a legal concept that involves deceiving customers into believing products come from a different company than their actual source, the report indicated.
Representatives from Estee Lauder, Inditex (Zara UK’s parent company), and Jo Loves have not yet provided responses to media inquiries. Attempts to contact Malone directly were unsuccessful.
