Kardashians' Khroma cosmetics pulled from stores

The Kardashian's debut cosmetics line has been pulled from stores following a court order. Kim, Kourtney and Khloe announced their range, Khroma Beauty, last year and they were planning to roll-out it out at more than 5,000 retailers across the US this month. But the trio have been stopped from distributing their beauty products, as a Florida-based company called Kroma Makeup is suing their licensing partner for 'stealing' its name. The firm's owner Lee Tillett trademarked the Kroma name back in 2010 and she sent a cease-and-desist letter to Boldface, the company that produces the Kardashian-fronted Khroma line, when the range was launched. Miss Tillett sought $10m (£6.67m) in damages from the sisters and Boldface Group Inc for 'stealing' the name of her cosmetics line. She claimed that the girl's company, for which they were guaranteed to make at least $6.2 million, would cause confusion in the marketplace. And it seems like the judge on the case agrees, according to Law360: 'Tillett has demonstrated that [she] will likely lose business opportunities, customers and goodwill due to Boldface’s use of the confusingly similar Khroma Beauty marks,' said US District Judge Audrey B. Collins in her ruling. 'The court has little doubt that, in short order, the Khroma Beauty products will likely eliminate Tillett’s business entirely, creating irreparable harm sufficient to justify an injunction.' Tillett first raised the issue with the girls in July 2012 when she claimed it infringed on her Kroma Make-up line, which she founded back in 2004. Florida native Miss Tillett told the Orlando Sentinel: 'I developed the Kroma line myself, built my business through my own hard work, and took the legal steps necessary to protect it. 'And yet I have now been forced into legal battle with the Kardashians simply because they have decided to take something that doesn't belong to them.' According to the counter-claims, Boldface has paid the Kardashians an upfront advance of $1m for licensing rights, with guaranteed minimum royalty payments of $4.6 (£3.07) million to $5.2 (£3.47) million, depending on launch dates of various products. As part of the deal, they allegedly have some power over the product line and that Kim 'proposed' it be called Khroma. This is not the only lawsuit the product line is engulfed in at the moment. Los Angeles-based Chroma Makeup Studio is also suing for alleged trademark infringement.