Kylie Minogue v Kylie Jenner trade mark dispute

Kylie Minogue has reportedly won a trade mark battle in the US over the name KYLIE.

US reality television star Kylie Jenner filed a US trade mark application on 1 April 2015 for the mark KYLIE covering "advertising services" and "endorsement services".  She later filed a number of US applications for her full name.

Unsurprisingly, Kylie Minogue, who has been well known for her name since the 1980's, filed an opposition against the mark KYLIE. The opposition was based on Kylie Minogue's reputation in the mark and cited possible confusion and damage to Minogue's brand. The opposition was also based on Minogue's own trade mark registrations for the mark KYLIE and other similar trademarks covering a range of goods including perfumes and toiletries, music and sound recordings, live entertainment, jewellery and printed matter. Minogue's representatives did not oppose Jenner's application for her full name.

Jenner is the youngest of the Kardashians and is most well-known for the television series keeping up with the Kardashians. She has a make-up line and launched Kylie cosmetics in January 2016.

The US Patent and Trade Marks office suspended the opposition for settlement negotiations before rejecting Jenner's application. However, on 19th January Minogue's team withdrew the opposition, which means that a settlement may have now been reached. Neither side has commented on the developments.

Trade mark disputes between celebrities are becoming increasingly common as more celebrities are attempting to protect their brands with trade mark registrations.

If you have any questions on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the team at McDaniel & Co. on 0191 281 4000 or legal@mcdanielslaw.com.