You Say ‘Wella,” I say ‘Willa’…Let’s Call the Lawyers

Procter & Gamble is suing a start-up personal care company over a brand name. P&G took offense to Willa, which it claims is too close to its Wella brand. But Christy Prunier, the founder of the brand, which includes lip balms, facial masks and lotions that are available in Target, J. Crew and other retailers, is fighting back.

Prunier told The New York Times that she named the line after her daughter, Willa, and spent nearly three years working with chemists and dermatologists to create the line, which she says is a natural alternative to the “Miley Cyrus, made in China, bubble-gum flavor products” currently on the shelves.

Prunier said she has spent $750,000 to fight the case, which goes to trial in Federal District Court in Manhattan on Oct. 12. It is likely to hinge on whether a jury finds a “likelihood of confusion” among customers of Willa and Wella, a rather squishy legal standard that focuses on factors including the similarity of the marks and products, and whether they are sold in the same channels.