A London judge has ruled in favor of British high-end shirt-maker, Thomas Pink, over Victoria’s Secret’s chain of sexy, mass-market lingerie shops called “Pink.” Judge Colin Birss stated in court that the American giant underwear retailer, which opened its first Victoria’s Secret Pink stores in the U.K. in 2012, was infringing on Thomas Pink’s trademark, thus confusing customers and damaging Pink’s luxury-wear image.
Considering that VS’ “Pink” brand caters to a young female and mainstream audience, the British high court settled that it was detrimental to the reputation of the London-based high-end shirt-maker, which is owned by French luxury conglomerate, LVMH.
The judge went on to state that having two different Pink stores is just too confusing for shoppers. “Consumers are likely to enter one of the claimant’s shops looking for lingerie and be surprised and disappointed when they find they have made a mistake.”
Jonathan Heilbron, President and CEO of Thomas Pink, told WWD, “We are pleased with the outcome of this case and will continue to protect the considerable investment that has been made into building Thomas Pink into a leading luxury-clothing brand.”
The future of Victoria’s Secret’s Pink brand in the U.K. and Europe, which no longer looks rosy, could soon be barred from using its Pink branding across the region.
