NEW YORK (AP) — Two former college roommates who created a successful clothing line under the trademark “Rhode” sued model Hailey Bieber Tuesday, saying she is creating market confusion by marketing a line of products for skin care under the name of Rhode.
The suit in Manhattan federal court asked a judge to cite trademark infringement and block Bieber from selling or marketing any products under Rhode’s name. He also sought unspecified damages.
The suit says the court intervention was necessary because Hailey Bieber is a celebrity with more than 45 million Instagram followers who launched her skincare line last week and has filed trademark applications to sell clothes.
Hailey Bieber is married to singer Justin Bieber, and the lawsuit says her husband has promoted his business to his 243 million followers on Instagram, generating 1.5 million likes from a single post. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the suit, Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers seek to protect the business they started in 2014 when they quit their day jobs to create a line of high-end clothing and accessories aimed at “feminine, confident, well-traveled women.” .
Since then, she said, her products have been featured in Vogue, sold at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus around the world, and worn by celebrities including Beyonce, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna. Sales are projected to reach $14.5 million this year, according to the lawsuit.
On the day her product was launched, Hailey Bieber said in a Forbes story that she had “a really tough time” with “a media world that likes to perpetuate women against women,” the suit says.
“But the reality is that the “media world” that Ms. Bieber describes is at her disposal. And she has chosen to use it to crush a brand co-founded by a woman and a minority that simply cannot compete with her immense fame and following,” the lawsuit says.
When her product line launched on June 15, Hailey Bieber appeared on “Good Morning America” on ABC and “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon on NBC, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit says the confusion and brand damage started by Khatau and Vickers is already widespread and it took only days for some consumers to believe the 8-year-old company is changing the name of the new competitor rather than the other way around.
Source: apnews.com