Entrepreneurs are free to use their names on brands that they create. However, this is provided that there are no precedents that could result in ugly legal aftermaths. This is what best describes the mess that British perfumer Jo Malone is facing.
After selling the rights to her name to Estée Lauder Companies in 1999, part of the deal was that she could no longer use her name for commercial reasons. However, a collaboration with High Street retailer Zara raised some issues, particularly the 10-word tagline on the packaging that read: 'A creation by Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves.'
