The reputation of the Azzaro perfume brands owned by L’Oréal enabled it to successfully oppose the unauthorized use of these brands to promote a range of wine bottles. Explanations from Sylvie Benoliel-Claux, lawyer at the Paris Bar.
L’Oréal, owner of several “Azzaro” brands and one “Chrome” brand, which are used in particular for cosmetics and clothing, is suing Wines and Brands, a company specializing in wine trading, for damage to the reputation of its brands, as well as for parasitism and deceptive commercial practices.
She accuses him of promoting bottles of wine bearing the Azzaro logo and associated with the Chrome logo on his website, referring to a partnership with “the luxury brand Azzaro.”
Wines and Brands defended itself by invoking an exclusive license granted by a third party company for an international trademark, Azzaro, and a European Union (EU) trademark, Azzaro.
After the judge presiding over the preliminary proceedings had issued provisional measures prohibiting the use of the trademark and imposing penalty payments in two separate orders, the court confirmed, on the merits, that the reputation of the trademark had been damaged in the following terms.
➡️ The reputation of the Azzaro brands is well established: based on an overall assessment in accordance with the principles, the court noted the significance of L’Oréal’s advertising investments, the long-standing and consistent use of the brand, its geographical reach, and its positioning in the perfume …
