A U.S. unit of French cosmetics giant L’Oréal is being sued by a small California firm, The Wall Street Journal reported, alleging that L’Oréal copied a hair product.
Olaplex, the company that lodged the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, has stated that L’Oréal infringed on its patents and specifically products that have been marketed as “bond builders” that can help protect hair that is being bleached.
Olaplaex said in its suit that L’Oréal gained access to the smaller firm’s products and marketing efforts when it engaged in takeover talks in 2015. The products that allegedly infringed on patents and their attendant marketing, said the firm, strongly resemble each other. Olaplex has said it garnered $60 million in sales in 2015.
L’Oréal has said it will contest the suit.
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