Victoria’s Secret v. Victor’s Little Secret Goes to the Supreme Court

A four-year old trademark lawsuit between Victoria’s Secret and a family-owned store, Victor’s Little Secret, has reached the Supreme Court.

The store, located in a strip mall in Elizabethtown, KY, had been named Victor’s Secret when it was opened by Victor Moseley to sell adult toys and lingerie for both men and women. The name was changed to Victor’s Little Secret after the Victoria’s Secret Catalog Inc. complained, according to a news report.

The court is expected to use the case to settle a contested area of trademark law, whether companies with well-know trademarks have to prove actual damages under a law designed to stop copycat business ventures, the report said.

Victoria’s Secret was awarded a trademark for its name in 1981.

An earlier ruling found that the similarity of the name Victor’s Little Secret would likely tarnish the large catalog’s interest.