In March, Kimsaprincess Inc., a company connected to Kim Kardashian West, filed nineteen trademark applications for the mark “SKKN BY KIM” in connection with an upcoming brand launch—one application for each international class encompassed by the proposed goods and/or services. On July 9, Kimsaprincess Inc. filed another trademark application, this time for “SKKN” in a single international class. The twenty applications, which encompass goods and/or services ranging from skin care services to couch cushions, were filed on an intent-to-use basis.
On July 21, however, Beauty Concepts LLC (“Beauty Concepts”)—owner of U.S. Trademark Application No. 90/608,147 for “SKKN+”—sent a cease-and-desist letter to Kimsaprincess Inc., demanding that it immediately withdraw the twenty pending applications and agree to forego use of the word “SKKN” in connection with any skin care or beauty products and/or services. Specifically, Beauty Concepts does not believe “[c]o-existence of the brands is [] tenable, given the similarities [between the marks] and given the social media and online presence of . . . Ms. Kardashian.”
Beauty Concepts’ use-based application was filed just two days prior to the filing of the nineteen “SKKN BY KIM” applications, and the cease-and-desist letter claims Beauty Concepts has been using its “SKKN+” mark in commerce since at least July of 2017.
The cease-and-desist letter in its entirety can be found at the following link: https://www.scribd.com/document/517729700/Letter-re-Kimsaprincess-SKKN-trademark-redacted