The Estée Lauder Companies has filed a lawsuit in a U.K. court against British entrepreneur Jo Malone, her fragrance brand Jo Loves and Zara’s U.K. business, alleging breach of contract and trademark infringement tied to the use of Malone’s name on certain fragrance products, according to a Reuters report.
The cosmetics company, which acquired the Jo Malone London brand and the rights to the “Jo Malone” name in 1999, claims the name appeared on packaging and product descriptions for fragrances sold through Zara as part of a “Jo Loves” collaboration. Reuters reported that Zara’s U.K. website described the products as “Created by Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves.”
Estée Lauder alleges that Malone agreed not to use the “Jo Malone” name in certain commercial contexts—including fragrance marketing—after leaving the company in 2006. The lawsuit claims the recent usage goes beyond that agreement and constitutes breach of contract, trademark infringement and passing off, the legal practice of misleading consumers about the origin of goods.
