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The retailer filed a defense in Estée Lauder's trademark case, citing the cosmetics giant's own 2020 collaboration guidelines.
May 8. Zara filed its response to Estée Lauder's trademark suit over the Jo Malone name. The defense: Estée Lauder set the terms in 2020, and Zara is following them.
The case centers on a set of Zara fragrances labeled with Jo Malone's name. Estée Lauder, which owns the Jo Malone brand, sued in March claiming trademark infringement. Zara's court filing, submitted this week, argues the retailer's use of the perfumer's name on collaboration scents aligns with principles Estée Lauder itself outlined four years ago.
The 2020 guidelines, referenced in the filing but not reproduced in full, reportedly addressed how third parties could work with Jo Malone's name in co-branded products. Zara's position: the scents are collaborations, not knockoffs, and the labeling reflects that structure.
Estée Lauder hasn't commented on the specifics of the 2020 framework. The suit, filed in a New York federal court, seeks damages and an injunction blocking Zara from using the Jo Malone name. No trial date is set.
The filing doesn't resolve whether the fragrances themselves resemble Jo Malone's signature scents. That question, if it comes up, would be a separate argument about trade dress or dilution. For now, the dispute is narrower: who gets to say Jo Malone's name, and under what terms.
Zara has not pulled the scents from shelves. They remain at retail in select European markets, priced between €15 and €25.
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