A United States court has ruled that Peet and Melany Viljoen have to pay R71 million in statutory damages to Tammy Taylor, the founder of Tammy Taylor Nails (Citizen).
The judgment, delivered by the Southern District of California, also bars the couple from using the Tammy Taylor name, trademarks or branding. Their US trademark registration has been cancelled and a permanent order now prevents any future affiliation with the brand.
Taylor filed the lawsuit in April 2024, accusing the Viljoens of continuing to use her brand after their licensing agreement ended. The couple did not defend the case. She also filed for her R390 million in lost profits, claiming damage to her brand’s reputation.
However, the court dismissed this part of the claim due to a lack of evidence.
The Viljoens must now remove all references to the true founder, Tammy Taylor, from their salons, websites and social media accounts, including the domain tammytaylornails.co.za.
Their lawyer in South Africa, Hein Wiese, declined to confirm if the pair has left the country and would not comment on the ruling.
The original Taylor has until 16 July to renew her motion for further damages or to pursue the South African trademark issue.
