This is the first advertising image I’ve seen for the upcoming Guerlain Insolence, due for launch in mid-August and fronted by actress Hilary Swank…
Perfume in the news: copyrights & the scent of Richmond
In contrast to a ruling in the Netherlands last week which determined that perfumes are protected by copyright laws, a French high court has determined that the "recipe of ingredients that make up a perfume cannot be protected by copyright". Read more in The Toqueville Connection. (link no longer working, sorry!)
Richmond, Virginia has its own local version of Bond no. 9: local perfumer Amy George has created a series of perfumes celebrating Richmond landmarks. The fragrances include Libby Hill, Maymont and Byrd Theater. Read more in richmond.com (link no longer working, sorry!), or check out her store at etsy.
Perfume & cosmetic price-fixing in the UK
Following the recent accusations of perfume price fixing in France, the UK is taking steps to investigate possible price fixing on perfume and cosmetics, according to the Times Online:
Edward Davey, the trade and industry spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, called on the Office of Fair Trading to conduct an investigation into the industry. “It looks like women across Britain are being denied value for money when they buy cosmetics because competition and choice are being stifled,” he said.
A similar case against Federated Department Stores, Estee Lauder and others has been winding its way through the US Courts for years. If it has had any effect on prices, I certainly haven't noticed.
French perfume makers & distributors fined for price fixing, Sean John denied trademark for Unforgivable
Paying too much for perfume? The Conseil de la Concurrence, a independent agency responsible for regulating market competition in France, has fined 13 perfume makers and distributors for price fixing:
The Conseil de la Concurrence said famous cosmetic brands such as Chanel SA, Yves Saint Laurent and Guerlain agreed with perfume chains Marionnaud, Nocibe and Sephora to have their products distributed at the same price in the three stores of the three chains…
L’Oreal wins case against copycat perfumes…
In a case that may have far-reaching implications for the perfume industry, L'Oreal has won a lawsuit against a company that copied the "olfactory architecture" of its fragrances:
A scent is a work of art just like a painting or a symphony, a French court has ruled in a case seen as a major victory in the battle against copycat fragrances.
After decades of failed attempts to copyright a particular perfume, cosmetics giant L'Oreal finally persuaded the court that its perfumes were entitled to the French droits d'auteur (authorial rights) that protect their creators from imitation for 70 years.
Read the rest of the article at the news.telegraph.