"Rhode" skincare company sued Hailey Bieber for trademark infringement
Two fashion designers who created a successful clothing line under the "Rhode" trademark have sued Hailey Bieber over her skincare company "Rhode." They say she's creating market confusion by marketing a skincare line there.
Hailey Bieber's lawsuit sought to block anything branded with the Rhode name from being sold or marketed. According to AP, it also sought unspecified damages.
Hailey Bieber is a celebrity with over 45 million Instagram followers who recently launched a skin care line.
As per the lawsuit, Hailey Bieber's husband Justin Bieber promoted her business to his 243 million Instagram followers, resulting in 1.5 million likes with one post.
Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers are seeking to protect their business they started in 2014 by creating a high-end clothing and accessory line targeting "feminine, confident and well-traveled women."
This year, sales are expected to reach $14.5 million, according to the lawsuit. Their products have been featured in Vogue, carried in Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus worldwide.
In a Forbes story, Hailey Bieber said she had a "really hard time" with "a world of media that perpetuates women against women."
It is true that Ms Bieber's "world of media" is at her disposal, and she has taken advantage of it to squash a minority and female-founded brand that simply cannot compete.
Hailey Bieber's product line was launched June 15 and the lawsuit claims it has caused confusion and harm to Khatau and Vickers' brand. It has only taken days for consumers to believe the 8-year-old company is trading off the new competitor's name.