Beauty and the Brand – Hailey Beiber’s Trademark Tiffs

Psssst … rumour has it that Hailey Beiber’s beauty brand RHODE is set to go global in the wake of a settlement in a stellar trademark battle.  Delighted fans are likely to revel in being saturated with upcoming RHODE marketing on socials.

Let’s take a deep dive into the story!  It is full of spite and virtual scratches so strap yourself in for the goss.

The Players - All the dramas started in 2022 just after Beiber launched RHODE with massive promotions which went off largely due to her global fame and huge socials following. Beiber enjoys solid celebrity status. 

Step in Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers co-founders of Rhode-NYC, LLC which began selling lux-garments under the Rhode name back in 2014.  No shy players themselves, their brand has enjoyed the shine of the spotlight from Vogue Net-a-Porter, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, and Saks Fifth Avenue, among others; and garnered fans, such as Beyoncé, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Lupita Nyong’o, while building a business that is on track to generate “sales of approximately $14.5 million for the year 2022 and $20 million in 2023”.

The Games - Let the games begin.  The Rhode players filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the US against Beiber alleging that Bieber’s use of the name Rhode for beauty products was causing consumer confusion and infringing its trademark rights in the Rhode name. Beiber then returned the vitriol requesting some Rhode trademarks be invalidated for non-use. No time for half-time oranges here as the battle escalated and tempers flared. 

The Settlement - Ultimately, the parties chillaxed and reached a settlement agreeing to drop their claims against each other and pay their respective costs. It is likely that a Co-Existence Agreement was entered into.

Takeaway Tips - Your branding is your “business identity” and a valuable asset. Protect it with a registered trademark.  You can fight the good fight if you have the right.  Protect, protect, protect.