Estée Lauder Sues Jo Malone Over Name Use

Estée Lauder Companies has filed a lawsuit against British perfumer Jo Malone, her fragrance brand Jo Loves, and Zara UK for using her name in their recent collaboration. The cosmetics giant claims that the use of Malone's name on the packaging of Jo Loves fragrances sold by Zara breaches a 1999 agreement where Malone sold her eponymous perfume brand and agreed not to use her name commercially.

The Financial Times first reported that the packaging for the collaboration reads: "A creation by Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves." Estée Lauder argues that this undermines the unique brand identity of Jo Malone London. A spokesperson for Estée Lauder stated, "Ms Malone's use of the name 'Jo Malone' in connection with recent commercial ventures goes beyond that legal agreement and undermines Jo Malone London's unique brand equity."

Malone sold her perfume business to Estée Lauder in 1999, which included the rights to her name. She left the company in 2006 and launched Jo Loves in 2011 after a non-compete clause ended. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, trademark infringement, and "passing off," where customers might be misled into thinking the products are from Estée Lauder's Jo Malone brand.

Estée Lauder has invested significantly in building the Jo Malone London brand over the past 25 years. The spokesperson added that while they respect Malone's right to pursue new opportunities, legally binding contractual obligations cannot be disregarded. Zara UK and Jo Loves have not yet responded to requests for comment.

This legal action comes at a time when there is an uptick in demand for fragrances led by Gen Z consumers. Last month, Estée Lauder also sued Walmart in the US for selling knockoffs of its fragrance and skin care brands.