Laurice Rahme Claims "peace" Anywhere On Earth Is Hers, Did the same with Riverside Options

[NaturalJuice]

(originally posted on the Natural Perfumers Guild yahoo group, copied here)
lizzornperfume wrote:
> Wanted to share this tid bit of info.
> I received a letter from the attorneys representing Laurice & Co.
> (Bond No. 9)
> threatening to take me to the cleaners for using the word "Peace" in a
> fragrance name "Peace On Earth"
> They claim that their trademarked name titled "The Scent of Peace"
> allows them to challenge the use of the word "Peace" in any product
> perfumery or related (personal care, etc).
> I realize that they have no legal leg to stand on. But get from their
> language that they will go after anyone who uses the word "Peace" in
> relation to a fragrance or related product.
> So if anyone is using the word "Peace" or intends to, and this company
> gets wind of it you will most likely get a nasty letter threatening to
> sue.
> Since I do not live by the code of conflict, or attachment.
> I have opted to change the name of our scent, send them a blessing and
> be on my way.
> The last thing I would ever do on this earth is go to war over the
> word "Peace". I can't even wrap my brain around it.
>
> Peace Zz.......
Peace be with you, Lizzzz ;-)

I got a letter from them about my Riverside last year, and I had already decided to discontinue Riverside. I did take a little poke at the lawyer (cc'd to Laurice Rahme, the owner of Bond No. 9) that for the life of me I couldn't understand why they used the term notorious to describe Rahme in the letter), LOL.

They have a horrible reputation on the perfumista blogs, many of them blame them for shutting down the Ebay businesses that were selling decants.

Glad you could laugh it off, as I did, and just move on. I would have changed Riverside, also, such insecure grasps of any company like Bond No. 9 shows how well, "nasty" as you put it, they are. Maybe I put out a Rahmeside perfume, LOL! No, then people would expect it to smell like the weak, repetitive No. 9 perfumes.

[sharilstuff]

Met this lady at a Creed location in NYC a few years ago. I did not care for her attitude as she assisted myself and other POL members. I'm not entirely suprised by this. So now I suppose I'll get a letter advising me that I can't say that, right? Please.

[Fulltiltredhead]

Unbelievable! Who are their trademark attorneys, does anybody know? I mean, that's just bullying.

[JenT]

That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard!

[rockinruby]

She is seriously out of control. The thing that gets me angry about it is that people with smaller businesses (Anya or Liz) will probably just stop using names when she says to, rather than face a legal battle.

And yes, many people believe that Laurice is at least partially behind the eBay banishment of decanters.

Now I'm really glad I didn't like Chinatown when I sampled it (see sampling thread) the other day. Ptooey. So there!

I have leaned further and further away from liking this line and the woman behind it for some time. I think this just sealed the deal.

[NaturalJuice]

Unbelievable! Who are their trademark attorneys, does anybody know? I mean, that's just bullying.

Barbara Lowenthal, Gottleib et al, NYC.

Just checked my reply -- Lowenthal wrote Rahme had "notoriety",* not "notorious" as I posted earlier. I tossed all the ridiculous paperwork associated with this - to quote you, FTR - "bullying".

But the word "Peace" -- mercy, what is this world coming to?

*still cause for a good giggle

[sharilstuff]

I'm feeling you, Rubes. I haven't been charmed by a single offering from Bond, but was flirting recently with the idea of acquiring Silver Factory, if sampling proves fruitful. Not a dime to this woman. Not one.

[Fulltiltredhead]

This attorney she's got is just an associate ...
http://www.grr.com/attorneys_bhl.htm
no accolades, no published papers online, nothing.

I'd be sorely tempted to tell her to stuff it.

[luca turin]

I think this sucks, will hurt Bond's reputation and in my opinion feels like billable-hours euphoria on the part of Laurice Rahmé's lawyers. Laurice is feisty and combative, but I can't imagine her as litigious.

[theminx]

I'm surprised to hear that Bond would stoop to such ridiculousness.

A couple of years ago, I was contacted by an attorney who tried to tell me that my using Minx as the name of my business and theminx.com as my domain was a trademark infringement as someone else was also using that name. The other Minx in question was a stripper who hadn't been "in business" nearly as long as I had. Nor as long as many of the other of the gazillion or so other "minxes" out there that her lawyers also contacted. I had a good laugh and threw away the paperwork. Never heard from them again.

People love to be litigious.

[rita]

Bond No. 9 does not have the corner market on fragrances with Peace in it.

There is Creative Scentualization's Peace

http://www.osmoz.com/encyclo/marques/parfu...M&LANGUE=en

And Kenzo's Time for Peace

http://www.perfumemart.com/cgi/perfume/sca...se=812/se=Women

How would they like it if these companies went after them ?

[Twitchly]

I have leaned further and further away from liking this line and the woman behind it for some time. I think this just sealed the deal.

No kidding. So much for even contemplating a bottle of Little Italy.

I hate this kind of bullying. Makes me want to become a perfumer just so I can come up with something called "Scent of Peaceful Little Broadway Hamptons by the Silver Riverside Factory Park."

Idiots.

[chayaruchama]

YOU ?

LIZ ?

Don't get me warmed up.
It's NOT pretty....
The FUR on the back of my NECK is standing UP.

The admonition against "lashon hara" prevents me from speaking my mind.
May I only say:

KARMA'S A BI@CH.

[altodiva]

Oh, for heaven's sake. Some people will stoop to anything. I mean, I'm a Bond fan, but I'm a fan of the scents, not the people behind them. I have a feeling that a lot of our little perfumed fantasy worlds would come crashing down if we knew the backstories of the perfumers of the past.

Minx, if you hear from that lawyer again, I think you should get one of your own and pay his retainer entirely in one dollar bills. Make 'em all wonder. ;-)

[FiveoaksBouquet]

Bond No. 9 does not have the corner market on fragrances with Peace in it.

There is Creative Scentualization's Peace

http://www.osmoz.com/encyclo/marques/parfu...M&LANGUE=en

And Kenzo's Time for Peace

http://www.perfumemart.com/cgi/perfume/sca...se=812/se=Women

How would they like it if these companies went after them ?

Rita, I would love to see one of these companies with deep pockets take her on. So far I haven't bought any Bond No. 9 and I won't be doing so in future. Let's just hope this gets spread around the net among the blogs and she's forced to change her tune.

[NaturalJuice]

Rita, I would love to see one of these companies with deep pockets take her on. So far I haven't bought any Bond No. 9 and I won't be doing so in future. Let's just hope this gets spread around the net among the blogs and she's forced to change her tune.

Hi 5Oaks, everyone. Lizz just blogged about it, I just don't have time, caring for elderly, sick mother, but I will try. Mine will be cheeky, of course, Liz gives the Zen take on it.
http://parfumemoderne.blogspot.com/2008/01...e-on-earth.html

[Goldengirl52]

My first instinct is to say that I will never purchase another Bond fragrance, because Laurice does indeed sound like she is a person I don't want to know. I also have the inclination to say that I would never purchase a Tom Ford fragrance, because he disgusts me. However, as has been pointed out, we don't know all of the stories behind many of the fragrances we purchase and wear. And....when I purchase a fragrance, I purchase a fragrance, not the person behind it. We shop at stores and never know about the behind the scene stories (ok...in some cases...I remember a juicy one about the owner of Bloomingdale's that came to light some years back), and we purchase gas for our automobiles and who knows what wheeling and dealing goes on there.

In short, we live in a society that is more materialistic than it is virtuous. If kindness, good will, and fairness were prerequisites for doing business, we'd probably have tons of money in the bank and alot less "stuff".

[FiveoaksBouquet]

Hi 5Oaks, everyone. Lizz just blogged about it, I just don't have time, caring for elderly, sick mother, but I will try. Mine will be cheeky, of course, Liz gives the Zen take on it.
http://parfumemoderne.blogspot.com/2008/01...e-on-earth.html

Nice vibe in that article, NJ. Definitely rising above the level of Bond & co.

Goldengirl, you're so right. It's impossible to know what goes on behind the facades of companies. My own philosophy is to decide each case based upon the information I have and my own values. That's about all I can do.

[chayaruchama]

Liz is just a spectacular human being, period.
I owe her a debt of gratitude for sharing so much of her learning with me...

You, too, Ms.A.
Always generous with the 411.
[I'm sorry that you've been so consumed with the care of your mother-
I know what it can entail...kisses to you]

[nubelia]

My own philosophy is to decide each case based upon the information I have and my own values. That's about all I can do.

Excellent point , based on snipppets here and there , a few suspicions I have and my own values and some of what I have sniffed so far ( nice enough but NO HG ) I shall happily give it a miss.