Overview
- Filed in the Central District of California, the complaint says Estée Lauder bought and tested items listed on Walmart.com and determined products bearing Estée Lauder, Clinique, La Mer, Le Labo, Tom Ford and Aveda marks were inauthentic.
- The suit alleges Walmart promoted and profited from the listings, used the brands’ trademarks in search tools to drive traffic, and designed its site in ways that could lead shoppers to believe Walmart was the seller.
- Estée Lauder seeks monetary damages, a court order halting sales, destruction of remaining inventory, and disclosure of suppliers, manufacturers and related records.
- Tom Ford adds a trade dress claim over lookalike Private Blend bottles and names, citing examples such as “Intense Peach” and “Picky Rose” resembling “Bitter Peach” and “Rose Prick.”
- Walmart says it has zero tolerance for counterfeit products and will respond in court, as the lawsuit follows prior media investigations into fake beauty goods on its growing marketplace.