Here we are again, reporting on Kim Kardashian facing a high-profile legal battle… but this time, we’re not talking about her ongoing divorce from Kanye West!
No, this time around, the 40-year-old reality TV megastar is on the hook for something far different: she’s being accused of a trademark violation with regards to her new SKKN beauty line!
Related: Is Jennifer Lopez Just Like Kim Kardashian?! Hear Our Take On It HERE!
According to TMZ, the beauty biz mogul recently received a strongly-worded cease and desist letter from a company called Beauty Concepts, LLC. That small business — owned by a woman named Cydnie Lunsford — claims that it has “provided salon and skin care services” under the brand named SKKN+ since July of 2017. Now, with Kim attempting to launch her own SKKN line — she’s had it in the works for about a year, it would seem — Lunsford is crying foul, alleging she hopped on that name first.
As part of their claim, Beauty Concepts also notes that their company has been operating a website and social media handles using the same brand name (and logo!) for several years. Heck, the small biz even claims it applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office back in March to officially register the SKKN+ logo!
Per the media outlet, which obtained a copy of the legal letter sent to Kim’s team, the cease and desist lays out how Lunsford’s company has spent “considerable time, effort, and money” to “develop and market SKKN+ services” over the last three-plus years. The letter also reveals that Kim’s attempt at using the SKKN name (with no “+” sign) would do nothing more than cause confusion in the market place — something the Patent and Trademark Office would no doubt investigate very closely.
Lunsford’s company further alleges that just because the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star adds “by Kim” at the end of her brand signage, that does little to “differentiate” the brands. Seems somewhat reasonable to us — if they didn’t know any better, would most consumers be able to differentiate between SKKN and SKKN+ as being completely different companies? It’s definitely confusing!
Per TMZ, Kim locked down all @SKKN social media handles and bought the website domain name by the end of 2020, so she’s clearly been planning a launch for a while. There’s just one problem: a quick look through Lunsford’s SKKN+ Instagram account shows the company using that branding since at least July of 2018 — more than two full years before Kim tried to lock up the brand name.
Related: Kim And Kanye Have Made Family Their Priority During Divorce — Here’s How
Regardless, Kim’s attorney Michael G. Rhodes spoke out about the cease and desist letter, saying (below):
“We certainly appreciate and support small businesses, and our hat is off to Ms. Lunsford. But the question at hand is one of trademark law and we’ve not done anything deserving of legal action by her. We are disappointed that she has chosen to run to the media knowing that we were scheduling a call for tomorrow, requested by her attorney. So while disagreeing with the letter, we’re hopeful that we can smooth things over once both sides speak.”
Hmmm… This also isn’t the first time Kim has faced trouble with a company name… remember Kimono?!
Anyway, can Kim and her legal team charm Lunsford into backing off?? Or does the small biz have the high ground here, since it appears as though they got to the name first?!
Sound OFF down (below) with your take on this branding brouhaha, Perezcious readers!!
[Image via FayesVision/WENN/SKKN+/Instagram]
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