Jo Malone sued for using her own name in collaboration with Zara

BBC News - World Legal & JudicialNews ReportEN 2 min read 100% complete March 12, 2026 at 02:26 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Estée Lauder Companies is suing perfumer Jo Malone, her company Jo Loves, and Zara UK for trademark infringement and breach of contract. The lawsuit stems from a collaboration between Jo Loves and Zara, where packaging included the phrase "A creation by Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves." Estée Lauder, who purchased Jo Malone London, including the rights to her name, in 1999, claims this violates the agreement that Malone would not use her name for commercial fragrance marketing. The company also alleges "passing off," suggesting customers might be misled into thinking the Zara collaboration is associated with Jo Malone London. Malone has previously expressed regret over selling the rights to her name. Estée Lauder asserts that Malone was compensated for agreeing to these terms and that they are protecting the brand they have invested in for decades.

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Legal & Judicial

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Estée Lauder Companies claims Malone agreed to contractual terms refraining from using the Jo Malone name in certain commercial contexts.

quote — Estée Lauder Companies spokesperson100% confidence

Under the 1999 deal, Malone agreed not to use the 'Jo Malone' name for commercial uses, including marketing fragrances.

factual — null100% confidence

Jo Malone sold the rights to her perfume brand, Jo Malone London, including the rights to her name, to Estée Lauder in 1999.

factual — null100% confidence

The lawsuit concerns the use of 'Jo Malone' on Zara x Jo Loves packaging: 'A creation by Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves'.

factual — null100% confidence

Estée Lauder Companies is suing Jo Malone, Jo Loves, and Zara's UK arm for trademark infringement and breach of contract.

factual — BBC100% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United Kingdom 30% Zara UK 40% Jo Malone London 60% Jo Loves ×260% Zara ×470% Estée Lauder Companies ×480% Jo Malone ×890%

Keywords

jo malone 100% estée lauder companies 90% trademark infringement 90% breach of contract 80% zara 80% jo loves 70% fragrance brand 70% commercial use 60% passing off 50%