A busy West Midland hair salon is locked in a dispute with a London-based beautician which has told it to drop its name.
Sanctuary Hair and Beauty in Aldridge has been open since 2005 but its boss says she has received several letters from Convent Garden-based beauty company The Sanctuary, saying it is infringing copyright and compromising the London firm’s reputation.
Boss Sam Allen now fears she may have to change the name of her salon in Wood Road, Walsall, which could cost in excess of £5,000 for new signs and business cards. She has been given until next Friday to comply.
But she says her salon offers no threat and would not have any detrimental effect on the London firm because that has a thriving mail order business and has its beauty products stocked in high street chains such as Boots.
“It’s ridiculous really that I may have to change the name of my business with the fantastic reputation the salon has achieved since opening in 2005,” she said.
“People know the salon as Sanctuary and the quality of my staff and the surroundings certainly do not serve to undermine the reputation of The Sanctuary at Covent Garden.
“This is a classic case of a large national company threatening the livelihood of a successful local business that has built a reputation through sheer hard work.
“It would be a crying shame if we have to change our name under these circumstances. If so, I have thought about a variation on a theme by calling the salon Sanctify.”
She says she has also offered to pay for using the name but this offer has been turned down.
It is not the first time businesses have clashed over names.
In May this year Britain’s highest pub, The Tan Hill in the Pennines, was taken to court for advertising a ‘family feast’ for its Christmas dinner. KFC eventually dropped the case against the pub.
Pop groups are often sued for using similar names. Pop Stars losers Liberty added an X to their name after it emerged an American group had already registered their name while Blue also faced the same problem after a Scottish 70s group had the same name.
The Sanctuary in Convent Garden was unavailable for comment.
5 Comments
Maybe she should just add “A” in front of sanctuary?
Change it to
COVNVENT GARDEN SANCTUARY
Don’t these people have better things to do than cause heartache to someone who just wants to make a go in life.. shall we all sue people who have the same surname’s as we do.
Good Luck SANCTUARY !!
£5000 for a sign,why not use up the cards you already got, When you can afford it get a new sign say £50 you dont have a problem,
She should really have checked out whether her chosen name was registered before setting up. Surely everyone in the health and beauty industry has heard of the sanctuary and should know to think of an alternative.
Maybe she did think of it and it was deliberate. Ironic that the colours (orange and white) are the same as those commonly used on products from The Sanctuary. Nah, I’m just being cynical!