Estée Lauder is suing Walmart in federal court, accusing the company of selling counterfeit versions of the cosmetics company’s fragrances and skin care products through its online store.
The lawsuit was filed in the Central District Court of California on Monday, February 9th. In it, Estée Lauder accused Walmart of selling counterfeits of its brands Aveda, Clinique, La Mer, Le Labo, and Tom Ford.
Estée Lauder said the products bear “marks that are identical, virtually indistinguishable, or confusingly similar” to products sold by the cosmetics company, according to court records seen by Reuters.
To support its claims, Estée Lauder said in the lawsuit that it purchased and tested some of the allegedly counterfeit products to determine their authenticity and determined they were not made by the company.
Estee Lauder also accused Walmart of knowing it was selling counterfeit products on its website and doing “little” to ensure the products sold were authentic.
In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, Walmart said it has “zero tolerance for counterfeit products.”
The retailer said it would “appropriately respond to the court if served.”
What kind of products were allegedly sold?
According to the complaint, Walmart allegedly sold the following counterfeit products on its website Walmart.com.
- aveda hair brush
- clinique skin cream
- la mer lotion
- la mer moisturizer
- and francis
- tom ford fragrance
Estée Lauder is asking Walmart to pay damages and stop selling allegedly counterfeit products and other products bearing the beauty company’s trademark.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
