First reported by TMZ, fashion brand Rhode claims copyright infringement and says that Hailey‘s line “could easily wash away all the hard work they’ve put into their brand.”
Owners Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers, who founded Rhode NYC in 2013, also say that her “Rhode” logo looks very similar to the one they have.
The lawsuit in the Manhattan federal court asked a judge to cite trademark infringement and block Bieber from selling or marketing any products with the Rhode name. It also sought unspecified damages.
The lawsuit said court intervention was necessary because Hailey Bieber is a celebrity with over 45 million Instagram followers who launched her skincare line last week and has filed trademark applications to sell clothing.
According to the lawsuit, Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers are seeking to protect the business they began in 2014 when they quit their day jobs to create a high-end clothing and accessories line, targeting “feminine, confident and well-travelled women.”
The Rhode clothing line also released an additional statement on the matter to Page Six.
“She did this despite knowing of Rhode and its prior rights,” Lisa T. Simpson, lead litigation counsel to Rhode, shared. “It’s an unfortunate circumstance. We, of course, understand that Hailey wants to use her middle name for her brand, but the law on this is clear: you can’t create this kind of brand confusion just because you want to use your name.”
They added, “What Ms. Bieber is doing is harming a minority co-owned business that two women have painstakingly built into a growing, global brand.”
