Special offer
Home > Blogs > Rebecca Fisher > East Polk County FL Real Estate>> Beyond the Theme Parks
bookmark_border

Big Bully Companies-- and The Red Door Salon in Lake Wales FL

By
Real Estate Agent

I don't like Big Bully Companies. I don't frequent the Red Door Salon in Lake Wales FL, but after this, I would if I my salon wasn't right around the corner from my favorite ice cream shop. And I like my girls there, too.

 

Read this article from The News Chief in Polk County FL.

 

Basically, it boils down to this:

 

A Mom & Pop salon in Lake Wales has been known by it's name, the Red Door Salon, for 11 years.

Now Elizabeth Arden contends the shop is infringing on it's trademark of Red Door perfume; "The trademark gives Elizabeth Arden exclusive rights to the Red Door name for salon and spa services."

Regardless of the legalities -- or of who is right and wrong-- The Bully is strong-arming this little salon into changing it's entire brand. They sent a letter saying 'do nothing until you hear from us' and the salon complied. It waited. Then they get a letter threatening a lawsuit.

 

Mom & Pops in their little downtown shops have little recourse to fight Big Business. Money talks.

 

Is the salon infringing? Probably but unintentionally. Are they EA's competition? Probably not.

 

There's a branding lesson in here for us all.

 

Warmly,

 

 

Posted by

 

 


 

 

Show All Comments
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Rebecca

It's not a question of infringement is a question of the costs to frighting it.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Dec 27, 2009 11:45 AM
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

Liz Arden Red Door has been around for decades.  Mom & Pop should have done a trademark search for the name before using it.  I can't conceive they did not know of the infringement and did it anyway thinking EA would not notice.

Dec 27, 2009 11:48 AM
Rebecca Fisher
Winter Haven, FL

Lou-- my point exactly. Money does what money can. I thought it was odd that the lawyers sent a letter saying 'do nothing until you hear from us'  and then they sent a letter threatening a lawsuit. I feel for the owners trying eke out a living.

 

Wallace-- I used to own a research company and had to do many searches of that type. I remember doing the whole Sony/Michael Jackson project, although that did not involve trademarks.

We talk so much about branding ourselves that we really need to do our homework, and be serious about it, before we sink our money into a name not our own. Lake Wales sure isn't a mecca of the wealthy. It's little teeny town that gets no attention; certainly not Fifth Avenue. If a company can find you infringing there, they can find you anywhere. So be prepared. I think I'll just be me-- the original.

 

 

Dec 27, 2009 12:42 PM
Liz Moras Migic
Chilliwack, BC
Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor

oh how sad is that!  i wonder if we could get a petition going?

Jan 03, 2010 05:28 PM
Liz Moras Migic
Chilliwack, BC
Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor

We could all boycott Elizabeth Arden - and since I use them a lot - I Would!

and as to Wallace's comments - not everybody is computer savy - and not everyone knows of Red Door - ask the next 10 guys in a row..

they should change it to something like RED Rose Door

Jan 03, 2010 05:29 PM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Rebecca:  I think this is absolutely terrible.  I am sad for the Mom and Pots of this world like this who have to put up with such bullying.  Too bad they could not change the name to something like "The New Red Door Salon" or something like that.  Mebbe My Red Door... or somehow keep it close enough to the original name so it would still be recognizable.  Thanks for sharing...

Jan 03, 2010 05:51 PM
Jane Cross
Homes By Cross serving Charlotte NC Real Estate Needs - Charlotte, NC

I like Liz's idea...put their own name in front of Red Door and move on...don't we all do that with our real estate franchise names, anyway? It seems rather petty on EA's part. Really.

Jan 04, 2010 11:27 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Rebecca, I tried to comment on this one last week, and I guess it didn't go through!  Anyway, this sounds like Elizabeth Arden overkill to me! 

Jan 07, 2010 10:19 AM
Back to Top

What's the reason you're reporting this blog entry?

Are you sure you want to report this blog entry as spam?