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15 October 2018Trademarks

UK beautician fights back after legal threat from Tiffany & Co

A beautician in the UK has said she will defend her rights after being allegedly threatened with a trademark opposition by Tiffany & Co against an application.

In April 2018, Tiffany Parmar, from Gloucestershire, applied to register a trademark at the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for ‘Cotswold Lashes by Tiffany’ in classes 3, 41 and 44.

The application covered goods and services including eyeliner and eyelashes, beauty school services, and hygienic and beauty care.

Cotswold Lashes by Tiffany, which is owned by Parmar, runs beautician courses as well as offering cosmetic products.

In August this year, a notice of threatened opposition for the applied-for trademark was filed at the IPO.

According to the BBC, lawyers for New York City-based Tiffany wrote to Parmar claiming that the applied-for trademark would be likely to cause confusion with the jewellery chain’s own trademarks.

The jewellery chain has registered several trademarks for ‘Tiffany’ and ‘Tiffany & Co’ at the IPO.

Tiffany’s lawyers added that customers may believe that the company is behind ‘Cotswold Lashes by Tiffany’, and threatened to take steps to protect its rights.

Tiffany has not yet filed an opposition, according to IPO records.

Last week, on Tuesday, October 9, Parmar took to social media to say that she is wiling to protect her business.

“As a very small business I’m so saddened to see that you [Tiffany] found it necessary to go after me so aggressively for trying to do things the correct way and trademark my company name,” she said.

Parmar added that she finds it “sad” that Tiffany is using its prestige to “bully small businesses”.

“I have NO interest in competing with you, nor would I stand a chance,” she said.

Then, in an additional post on Friday, October 12, Parmar said: “There are easier routes I could have taken, including withdrawal, but unfortunately sometimes the right routes aren’t always the most obvious and straightforward paths.”

WIPR has approached Tiffany for comment.

Want brand protection that counts toward your bottom line? Join WIPR on October 17th for a complimentary webinar.  Find out more here.

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More on this story

Trademarks
6 October 2016   A US jury has reportedly ruled that wholesaler Costco must pay luxury brand Tiffany $8.25 million in punitive damages for selling counterfeit diamond rings.
Trademarks
15 August 2017   Wholesaler Costco has been told it must pay an initial sum of $8.2 million to jewellery company Tiffany for unlawfully using its trademark on rings.
Trademarks
15 January 2020   The UK Intellectual Property Office has sided with jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co and agreed to halt the registration of a beautician’s trademark.