Adore Me, a lingerie company, filed a lawsuit on June 24, 2021, against Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty for trademark infringement. Adore Me is claiming that Savage x Fenty infringed upon its brand.
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination of these elements, that identifies and distinguishes the source of goods/services. Trademarks are essentially brand identifiers.
Savage advertised its goods using “Adore Us,” which Adore Me claims is confusingly similar to "Adore Me." Adore Me claims that the use of the phrase Adore Us indicates that by clicking the link, it will take the user “a site with products offered by, authorized by, or affiliated with Adore Me,” however, it takes them to the Savage x Fenty site instead. Adore Me accused the company of a “willful” attempt to appropriate” the “substantial consumer goodwill” which the phrase “Adore Me” is built on.
Adore Me was launched in 2011. It owns federal trademark and common law rights for its mark Adore Me which covered various items in clothing.
Rihanna created the cosmetic brand Fenty Beauty in 2017, which is largely credited as revolutionizing make-up diversity. Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie line was initiated in 2018. It is not the first time Rihanna has legal issue with the Savage x Fenty brand. In early 2020, the business was accused of deceptive marketing.
Adore Me requested a jury trial and for a judge to rule that Savage x Fenty eradicate “Adore Us” from any advertising messages, as well as compensate for damages and court fees.
Adore Me's successful registration of its trademarks could aid the company in winning its suit against Savage. All owners are encouraged to trademark their names, logos, and/or designs in order to protect their investments from improper appropriation.
If you have any questions about trademarks, please contact our office.
Research Assistance: Darshani Bacchus
Reference: www.uspto.gov
Melissa D. Goolsarran Ramnauth, Esq. is a trademark and business attorney. She writes articles on trademark law. She also writes weekly articles on West Indian history and politics to raise awareness of the past, and educate the Caribbean diaspora on the need for legal contracts and trademarks.
She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, a minor degree in History that focused on the slavery and indentured servitude eras, a minor degree in Criminology, and a Juris Doctor degree.
MDGR Law, P.A.
(754) 800-4481
melissa@mdgrlaw.com