Hailey Bieber's new skincare brand sold out almost as soon as it was launched, here is everything you need to know about the latest trademark dispute over her brand name Rhode.
Photo by Rhode www.rhodeskin.com
It's fair to say that most of us have become obsessed with the new skincare brand launched by Hailey Bieber and a reminder that every brand even those that start off small require careful consideration of potential trademark infringement.
The latest dispute is by the New York apparel and lifestyle brand Rhode (shoprhode.com) which filed a lawsuit against Hailey Bieber's new skincare brand also called Rhode to stop her using the name because they claim it has infringed their trademark which is protected by federal law.
The apparel and lifestyle brand claims that it has been using that name for 9 years which it built from scratch and wants to protect its goodwill. Hailey Bieber wanted to buy the trademarked name Rhode around 4 years ago but the request was refused.
In Hailey's latest campaign for her skincare line she said that Rhode is her middle name and this is the reason behind using it. In her video testimony to the court, she claims that there would be no confusion with her brand and the New York apparel brand, as skincare and clothing are two completely separate lines of business which would not be confusing to the public. The judge ruled in Hailey Bieber's favour allowing her to continue with the launch of her business and successful Youtube series about how she launched the brand.
There is no doubt that Hailey Bieber's success has given her a platform that enables her to promote and sell her products and any other products without needing to worry about infringing other brands which arguably could very quickly swamp any other brand with the same name or market as her business becomes more scalable and expands to other territories even if it only stays within the cosmetics industry.
Looking further than this, what would stop the model from launching her own clothing or lifestyle brand under the same name as celebrities often do so. In this situation, the New York apparel brand could become completely eroded as brands and influencers will prefer to promote and sell Hailey Bieber's products as she expands her business.
The New York apparel brand has indicated that it will be seeking monetary damages for the use of their name so we will be watching as further details emerges.