A Possible Snag With Beyonce’s Fragrance

Remember that fragrance announcement from last week? The announcement about Beyonce Knowles and Coty teaming up to produce and launch a fragrance next Spring 2010. Beyonce’s plan was to name the fragrance Fierce after her latest album “I Am Sasha Fierce.”  She already has a line of clothing with the name Sasha Fierce out in department stores.

Abercrombie & Fitch, a chain of clothing stores directed at young adults, has a problem with the name of the new fragrance – they insist that they already own that name. New York Daily News reports….

Within hours of Tuesday’s announcement, Abercrombie filed suit in federal court in Columbus, asking a judge to stop Knowles and accusing her of trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices because it already sells a men’s cologne called Fierce.

The $40 cologne comes in a bottle featuring the standard Abercrombie and Fitch branding: a ripped male torso. Store employees spritz stacks of clothing with it.

The company said it has sold $190 million worth of Fierce since 2002 and Knowles’ perfume plan “poses a likelihood of confusion” for consumers and could cost them sales.

I’m no expert on the law, but it sounds pretty straight forward. Why doesn’t she just change from “Fierce”  to “Sasha Fierce”?  There’s already too much similarity in the fragrance industry. I can’t tell you how many times I smell a sample and think, “This smells exactly like…..” 

Unique smell, unique name – that’s the way to go.

Image credit: Abercrombie & Fitch.com