Singer Kahi loses trademark dispute with cosmetics brand KAHI

Former After School singer Kahi has lost a trademark dispute with cosmetics brand KAHI over the use of the name for dietary supplements.

According to Donghaeng Media's Sidae on Tuesday, the Patent Court ruled in favor of the cosmetics company on April 23 in a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the registration of Kahi's 'KAHI' trademark for dietary supplements. The company argued that the identical English names could confuse consumers about the origin of the products.

Kahi appealed the ruling but withdrew her appeal a week later, making the cosmetics company's victory final on May 20.

Kahi applied to register the 'KAHI' trademark for dietary supplements and other products in May 2021, and the registration was approved in December 2023. The cosmetics company challenged the registration, arguing that consumers could mistake the supplements for products from its brand.

Kahi countered that she had used the stage name Kahi long before the cosmetics brand emerged and had simply registered her own name as a trademark.

The Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board initially sided with Kahi, reasoning that cosmetics and dietary supplements were dissimilar products.

The Patent Court, however, reached a different conclusion.

The court considered the cosmetics brand's widespread recognition through indirect advertising in television dramas and the growing trend of cosmetics companies also selling dietary supplements.

"Given the growing tendency for the same companies to manufacture and sell both cosmetics and dietary supplements, consumers could be confused into believing the two products come from the same company," the court said.