Sat, 26 Jul 2025

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 Salon owner 'ready' for key L'Oréal dispute hearing

Rebecca Dowdeswell has been locked in a legal battle with the global cosmetics giant since 2022.
Rebecca Dowdeswell, owner of Leicester-based salon nkd, is preparing to face L'Oréal in court over a trademark dispute. The 49-year-old claimed she made a "big mistake" by forgetting to renew her trademark after it expired in 2019. She now faces opposition from L'Oréal, which owns the Naked brand and claims Dowdeswell's use of nkd would cause consumer confusion. However, Dowdeswell argues that there has never been any evidence of such confusion and says she is "ready to fight again". The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) hearing date has been set for November 5th, with a decision expected around nine months later. L'Oréal claims it has offered Dowdeswell support for her business aspirations while protecting its trademark rights.
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