What's In A Name? Chanel Moves to Protect Brand's Trademark

Chanel Iman | Matt Jones | Elle Italy, Octover 2010 Sensuality News

The great news about model Chanel Iman, who will appear soon in the Nov. 30 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, is that she had major exposure in October, with editorials in Elle Italy, Canadian Flare Magazine, and Vanity Fair Italy.

The question is: could Chanel Iman’s name get her in trouble with the holders of the Chanel trademark?

In September, Chanel, Inc. executives took out a full page on the back of WWD, advising writers and editors not to use the Chanel name to describe other collections:

“A note of information and entreaty to fashion editors, advertisers, copywriters and other well-intentioned mis-users of our Chanel name:
Chanel was a designer, an extraordinary woman who made a timeless contribution to fashion. Chanel is a perfume. Chanel is modern elegance in couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, watches and fine jewelry. Chanel is our registered trademark for fragrance, cosmetics, clothing, accessories and other lovely things. Although our style is justly famous, a jacket is not ‘a Chanel jacket’ unless it is ours, and somebody else’s cardigans are not ‘Chanel for now.’ And even if we are flattered by such tributes to our fame as ‘Chanel-issime,  Chanel-ed, Chanels, and Chanel-ized’, PLEASE DON’T. Our lawyers positively detest them. We take our trademark seriously. 
Merci,
Chanel, Inc.” via Fashionista.com

One is compelled to wonder if Chanel Iman’s lawyer has advised her that lawsuits are launched every day in America, with merits of the case often determined at the end of the arguments and not the beginning.

Chanel Iman was born Chanel Iman Robinson in Atlanta and grew up in Los Angeles, the daughter of a Korean mother and African-American father. Thankfully, Chanel’s name is embedded in her American birth certificate.

Better yet, Chanel Iman was invited to Chanel’s September reopening of their Soho boutique.

As Fashionista notes, Chanel is one of the few brands that truly can be called iconic.  It does seem that Chanel Iman’s ability to license her own name — should she become a roaring success — will be limited by existing Chanel trademarks. 

Deciding the legal merits of these issues are expensive and lengthly. For now, we’re thrilled that Chanel Iman is creating her own ‘look’ and style in a wide range of international media. Anne

Chanel Iman | Rafael Stahelin | Vanity Fair Italy

Looking energetic and dynamic, Chanel Iman looked authentic and ready for prime time.