Peet and Melany Viljoen. Images: Instagram
Tammy Taylor, founder and owner of Tammy Taylor Nails in the US, is suing Melany and Peet Viljoen and filed a law suit in the US District Court for the Southern District of California on Tuesday, accusing her former licensees of continuing to use her trademarks after the licence ended.
This is the latest shot after Taylor uploaded a video on her Instagram account last week in which she said the Viljoens are illegally using her name to sell franchises, counterfeiting and selling her products, as well as using her logos and trademarks on all their social media platforms. She also said that she was threatened and harassed as well as being stalked by the Viljoens.
In a second video (above) uploaded onto Instagram, Taylor says she is suing the Viljoens for $100 million for damages to her name and brand. She says from 2017 to 2022 she granted the Viljoens “the limited right to sell Tammy Taylor products in Australia and Africa”, but this was terminated in 2022.
In addition, she says she granted the Viljoens the limited right to develop Tammy Taylor salons in Africa, but this was terminated in 2021.
“The Viljoens continue to use my name, my copyright and my trademarks in social media and advertisements. To falsely claim that they are still affiliated with me and Tammy Taylor Nails. They are not.
“I am providing this statement to prevent Melany and Peet Viljoen from continuing to harm others and me,” she says.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Real Tammy Taylor says Peet and Melany Viljoen stole her identity
Asked for comment on the first video, Peet Viljoen refused to comment to this journalist, but this week Melany Viljoen made her own video (below) to respond, saying they “were lied to”.
@melviljoen ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: I am speaking my truth PART 1 We were lied to: TAMMY FOOLED US The moment my trust was broken: TAMMY SOLD IT TO BILLIE EILISH Carte Blanche: HAPPY SIMELANE Today, we stand firm in our ownership of the Tammy Taylor name in South Africa, ready to confront misconceptions and false narratives head-on. It's time to set the record straight, to shed light on the reality behind the facade, and to reclaim our narrative. This video is a testament to our journey, our resilience, and our unwavering dedication to the truth. – – – #tammytaylor #tammytaylornails #mytruth ♬ original sound – Mel Viljoen
She says their relationship with Tammy Ray Taylor in America began at a time when she was simply looking for products for her own salon which would have been called Melany’s.
“With just 20 nail colours and no salon to call her own, we and Tammy worked hand in hand, building our brand alongside and Tammy Taylor South Africa was born.”
Viljoen says Tammy herself strongly encouraged them to use her identity and content, which initially suited their needs as a brand.
“When I first entered the world of nails, I wanted to be an educator and an educator alone. Yet my husband wanted to support my endeavours and together we embarked on a journey that led to the establishment of Melany’s, which later evolved into Tammy Taylor Nails South Africa after Tammy Taylor USA insisted on us using the name Tammy Taylor.”
However, Viljoen says, as their business grew in South Africa, it became essential for them to adapt their content to resonate with their local audience.
“As soon as we started creating our own content to reflect the needs of South Africa, she insisted that Tammy stays the face of Tammy Taylor in South Africa.”
According to Viljoen, creating their own content is not prohibited by their contract.
“As it is, my brand is of Africa. I want autonomy over it as any businessman would.”
She says this is the point where Tammy’s facade began to unravel.
“Despite claiming in our contract that she manufactures the products, it became evident that this was untrue. In reality, she relies on a distributor, Esschem.”
Viljoen insists in the video that they hold the legitimate registration and ownership of the Tammy Taylor name in South Africa. She says they have not rebranded because they invested too much in it.
“It is not just a matter of changing a name, it is about the millions of rands that we spent on this brand.”
She says the financial investment they made in securing the rights to the name cannot be disregarded. “I still love Tammy Taylor South Africa and I love nails and I thought it was a brand worth expanding and bring to South Africa and I will keep fighting for it.”
ALSO READ: Tammy Taylor Nails told to stop using name as US company launches ‘brutal takeover’
Melany Viljoen said in a statement to The Citizen in September last year that Taylor intends a “brutal takeover of the empire Melany Viljoen built” when asked for comment on letters from Tammy Taylor’s lawyer, James McQueen, instructing her to cease and desist from using the Tammy Taylor name as she is no longer a licensee or distributor of products.
She said she owns the company and registered it as well as the trademark.
“Melany Viljoen and the Americans reached an agreement that in the event of rebranding her empire to Melany’s, there is a condition that the Americans contribute $1 million to rebrand. The Americans seem to have cashflow issues or memory loss.”
In addition, Viljoen said the trademark, that she said were the only issue in dispute, will remain her property until a South African court rules otherwise.
The Viljoens did not respond to a request to comment on Taylor’s latest video and the law suit. If they do decide to comment, it will be added.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
