Residents in the Channel Islands have won a legal victory against perfume giant Chanel after it tried to trademark the word – JERSEY.
The iconic brand’s latest fragrance was named ‘Jersey’ because its founder Coco Chanel famously made garments from Jersey fabric.
But the UK’s intellectual property office has now refused its bid to trademark the name after objections from the local government.
Officials from the Economic Development Department were happy for Chanel to call its fragrance Jersey but wanted to safeguard the title for local farmers and business.
They were also concerned it would mislead customers into thinking the “deliciously sophisticated” scent was produced on the island.
Senator Alan Maclean said: “It was important that we challenged this. This was about ownership of the name Jersey.
“It is not about stopping Chanel using the name. It is fantastic to have a perfume named Jersey.”
Coco Chanel started incorporating Jersey fabric, a knitted woollen material originating in Jersey, into her designs in the 1920s.
She transformed what was previously seen as an utilitarian, mundane fabric ideally suited for rugged sailors’ sweaters into something celebrated for its elegance.
