Abercrombie & Fitch Sue Beyonce

Abercrombie and Fitch have sued Beyonce, stopping the singer from launching a new line of fragrances.

The fashion retailer practically ran to a judge with a federal injunction as soon they heard the former Destiny’s Child star was planning a new fragrance for early 2010. But why has the clothing chain, known for its laid back, casual style, made such a fuss?

Well… A and F claim a fragrance under Beyonce’s “Sasha Fierce” label would be likely to cause confusion with their own “Fierce” brand, that has been their trademark cologne since 2002. The Fierce scent is sprayed throughout stores via a machine so all clothes leave with the its aroma.

But if Abercrombie and Fitch had only had a prior word with Beyonce they could have saved themselves the hassle of those legal fees. It turns out the pop diva never intended to name her new fragrance after her alter-ego anyway.

This was confirmed by her publicist and a statement from Coty, the company that produces Beyonce’s fragrances. “The terms Fierce and Sasha Fierce are not being used as names for Beyonce’s new fragrance,” they officially said.

Apparently, injunctions such as these are quite common in trademark litigation. Shame… the ReallyRich.com boys would have loved a sexy Fierce Fragrance advert from the diva, oh well… The case is Abercrombie & Fitch Co v. Knowles, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio (Columbus), No. 09-807