Judge Rules Against Kardashians' Makeup Line: What it Means for the Brand

By Spencer Cain, StyleCaster

Not a day goes by that the sisters Kardashian aren't in the news for one reason or another, and today is no different. What is different, however, is the fact that the news has less to do with the sisters' fashion choices and pregnancy buzz and more to do with pretty big legal issues surrounding their often troubled cosmetics line Khroma. After months of drama surrounding the line's name, it seems a judge isn't siding with the Kardashians. Before we explain, here's a refresher:

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What is Khroma Beauty? Considering Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe Kardashian are known for putting their name on pretty much anything, it was only a matter of time before they got into the makeup world. The line, called Khroma Beauty, was launched in late November 2012, and products have continued to roll out since then. Since the Kardashians are known for consistently wearing full makeup-even if they're going to the gym-a makeup line is actually beyond appropriate for them. They allegedly came up with the name during a meeting on an episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

The Controversy: Last year, once the news leaked that the line would be named Khroma, a Florida woman and makeup artist named Lee Tillett sent a cease-and-desist letter immediately to Boldface Group, the parent company. Tillett suggested that the Kardashians ripped off the name of her brand, Kroma, which she trademarked in 2010. She felt it was way too similar, and would cause a great deal of competition-not to mention confusion-in the marketplace. She filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million in damages. The large sum certainly raised eyebrows, and she certainly got her point across.

The Verdict: This drama stayed out of the news for a few months until today, when a judge ruled in favor of Tillett, stating that she proved that she would lose business opportunities due to confusion based on the similar names, and that it would be incredibly harmful to her overall brand. The Boldface team may decide to appeal the decision, but it seems like the damage has done.

What's Next? It's hard to say what will transpire, but in order to avoid further media scrutiny that draws negative attention to their makeup line, we think the Kardashians should just change the name. No offense to both parties, but "Khroma" isn't exactly the most groundbreaking name in the world. And considering the Kardashians have a flurry of products that are hard to keep track of, we don't think altering the brand at this stage of the game would impact sales. In fact, it may make them look thoughtful and considerate of a fellow entrepreneur.

What do you think of the Khroma drama?

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