There have been a number of allegations thrown around in the past of celebrities who plagiarised the names, products and even designs of other brands.
Recently, Malaysian actress Sharifah Rose found herself in hot waters after netizens accused her of copying the name of a local brand for her own brand.
Rose recently launched her own label, Sekuntum, however, netizens were quick to accuse her of copying another local brand called Sekuntom.
One user who is apparently the founder of the label Sekuntom said, “This artist casually release the brand’s name which is similar to another’s, similar business nature, logo based on the same signature three petalled flower and same font design.”
“If the brand name is almost the same, the customer will get confused. In the end, the smaller brand gets oppressed, even to get 10,000 followers takes years,” said the user.
“My Sekuntom business was developed back in 2017, and it underwent rebranding in 2020. I remember how difficult it was to achieve 10,000 (followers), it was also hard to get potential buyers. It’s a different case for celebrities, they easily attain over 1,000 followers in just a day after launching their brand.”
Plagiarising the design of a product by an Australian brand
Following the Twitter post, another user also shared how the design of Rose’s upcoming product looks identical to an Australian brand’s product.
The Australian company called Macamilk, specialises in macadamia milk which it sells in designed milk cartons. Rose’s Sekuntum recently posted a picture of what appeared to be a milk carton with the same exact design.
The user shared how they had gotten in touch with Macamilk, who initially said that they would get their legal team involved.
However, the post by Sekuntum has now been deleted.
Furthermore, according to Macamilk, Rose has admitted that what she did was wrong. “Starting your own business is not easy. Being authentic is even harder and being human is to make mistakes in business and in life. We accept your apology and wish you all the best.”
“We now ask to please go easy on Sharifah and her team. They made a mistake, they owned it and we should all support each other moving forward,” they added.
Rose issues a statement
Following all of the backlash, Rose has since issued a statement on her Instagram.
“I would like to thank to those who have been concerned and supported us on the issue that was being hotly debated. Honestly, as a newcomer to the business world, I have a lot more to learn and I accept all views and criticisms with an open heart,” she said.
Rose explained that at the outset, an analysis of names had already been performed. “But, I only found out about the existence of the other brand after we released the teaser on IG.”
“We decided to register the name Sekuntum as it is not limited to roses only. Initially, the team suggested naming the brand as ‘Sekuntum Rose’. But I refused because I didn’t want it to be just about myself.”
She explained that she registered the company back in September last year. “How could we continue this process if the allegations against us are true. I have no intention whatsoever of hurting anyone.”
In regards to the issue with Macamilk, Rose said that they have reached out to Macamilk and have resolved it privately.
What do you think? Was it by accident or intentional? Let us know in the comments.
Also read: Local Actress Slammed For Cat-Walking Around KL Town Without Her Mask On
