Jo Malone ‘surprised and sad’ after being sued £200,000 for using her name on fragrances | Fragrance
British perfumer Jo Malone said she was “surprised and deeply saddened” after being sued for more than £200,000 for using her name in perfumes she created for fashion chain Zara.
Last month, it was revealed that New York-based multinational Estée Lauder Companies, which owns the MAC, Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder and Jo Malone London brands, had taken legal action for allegedly infringing the perfume entrepreneur’s trademarks.
Under a deal in which Malone sold the perfume brand to a US cosmetics group in 1999, he was prevented from using the name for certain business reasons, including the marketing of the perfume.
He resigned as creative director of the Jo Malone brand in 2006 and has since said he regretted selling the rights to his name, calling it “the biggest mistake of my life”.
After her non-compete clause expired in 2011, Malone founded the Jo Loves brand. The perfume brand launched a collaboration with Zara in 2019, which included eight scents priced at £35.99. The packaging made it clear that the products were created by Malone, and the final version included the words: “Created by Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves.”
Estée Lauder has disputed that statement and high court documents show the company and Jo Malone Ltd expect to receive compensation of more than £200,000.
Speaking for the first time since that day, Malone shared a post. video on Instagram He defends the use of his name.
“My name is Jo Malone. I am that person, the creator of the fragrance, the entrepreneur, the cancer survivor,” she said, “I never expected to receive a supreme court claim with my name on it.”
When Zara approached her about working together seven years ago, she said, “They approached me, they didn’t approach a company, they didn’t approach a brand, they didn’t approach a logo. They approached me, Jo Malone, that person, and asked if I would start working with them and create beautiful fragrances that everyone in the world could wear.”
He added: “I sold a company, I didn’t sell myself.
“We’ve gone above and beyond to make sure everyone understands that this has nothing to do with the Jo Malone London label. It’s all about Jo Malone. We literally went the extra mile, using Jo Malone creative director of Jo Loves, Ms. Jo Malone CBE.” …We trained the staff, everything.
“Where do I go from here? Who can I be? I can’t stop being a person. No one can stop being the character and person that you are.”
Estée Lauder has been approached for comment.
The company previously said: “Ms Malone’s use of the name ‘Jo Malone’ in connection with recent business ventures goes beyond this legal agreement and undermines the unique brand value of Jo Malone London.
“We respect Ms. Malone’s right to pursue new opportunities. However, legally binding contractual obligations cannot be ignored, and if these terms are breached, we will protect the brand we have invested in and built over decades.”
