While she’s already done impressive things with KKW Beauty/Fragrance and SKIMS, Kim Kardashian’s latest endeavour has found her diving into the world of skincare with her SKKN By Kim brand.
In the past, the mother of four has been faced with lawsuits when launching new products, and this time around was no exception. As TMZ notes, she’s being sued for trademark infringement by a small, Black and female-owned business in Brooklyn, though her lawyer, Michael Rhodes, insists that the effort is nothing more than a “shakedown.”
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In a statement obtained by TMZ, Kardashian’s legal counsel explained, “This lawsuit is not what it seems. SKKN By Kim is a new brand that follows in the footsteps of Ms. Kardashian’s successful KKW line of products. Building on independent research and development, her company filed a trademark application to protect the new branded products. This prompted the current shakedown effort.”
“Mid-last year, we received a letter from Beauty Concepts, an esthetician studio in Brooklyn owned by Ms. Lundsford. We applaud [her] for being a small business owner and following her dreams, but that doesn’t give her the right to wrongfully claim that we’ve done something wrong.”
Rhodes pointed out that Lundsford’s shop was run by a single person, and offered facials from just one location. “The salon had no signage and was by appointment only. To our knowledge, Beauty Concepts sold no products under the SKKN+ name,” he added.
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“Beauty Concepts asked that we drop the SKKN name. Of course, we said no. Beauty Concepts then challenged Ms. Kardashian’s trademark applications at the USPTO. Unsurprisingly, the USPTO rejected Beauty Concepts’ own SKKN+ mark saying that “skkn” just means “skin.” Undaunted, Beauty Concepts then tried to make its business seem more than it was – it leased a new storefront, changed its website, etc.”
The reality star’s defence said that they made an attempt to work on a plan of coexistence with Beauty Concepts, though the small business reportedly “didn’t really engage with [them] a lot beyond demanding a lot of money.”
Read the full statement below, and tap back in with HNHH later for any updates on Kim Kardashian’s SKKN trademark lawsuit.
TMZ
[Via]