A British small business owner is preparing to take on beauty giant L’Oréal at a tribunal next week in a legal battle over trademark rights.
Rebecca Dowdeswell, 49, from Nottinghamshire, has been embroiled in a three-year dispute with the French cosmetics conglomerate, which claims her use of the name nkd for her waxing and hair removal business could cause “consumer confusion” with its own Naked beauty range.
Dowdeswell, who founded nkd in 2009 — a year before L’Oréal introduced its first Naked-branded product in the U.K. — said the case has taken a heavy toll on her finances and wellbeing. She has spent more than £30,000 in legal fees fighting the £170 billion company, represented by top law firm Baker McKenzie, and was forced to close one of her two salons in late 2023 due to the strain.
“There’s never been any question or evidence of any consumer confusion,” she said ahead of the tribunal at the U.K. Intellectual Property Office. “We operate in very different sections of the beauty market. My business is focused solely on waxing and hair removal, while their Naked line covers a handful of makeup products. Even the names are different — we pronounce ours ‘n-k-d,’ whereas theirs is ‘naked.’”
The dispute began after Dowdeswell’s trademark expired in 2019. She missed the renewal window due to the disruption caused by the pandemic and attempted to re-register it in 2022, only to face opposition from L’Oréal. “We had already coexisted peacefully for over 12 years,” she said. “For them, £30,000 is nothing. For me, it’s been devastating — financially and emotionally.”
Dowdeswell did receive a partial victory earlier this week when L’Oréal narrowed the scope of its objection, allowing her Leicester salon to continue using the nkd name for certain services and products. However, the broader dispute remains unresolved. She accused the company of using delay tactics “to grind me down” and hopes the tribunal will finally hold it accountable.
L’Oréal, in a statement, maintained that it has consistently sought an amicable solution. “Since 2022, our position has not changed,” a spokesperson said. “We have always been willing to work with Rebecca Dowdeswell to support her business aspirations while respecting our longstanding trademark rights. The proceedings are ongoing, and we remain committed to resolving this matter in a mutually agreeable way.”
