It's Skinnygirl versus Tipsy Girl! Bethenny Frankel 'takes steps to protect lucrative brand as RHONY co-star Sonja Morgan launches liquor line'
Bethenny Frankel is on the war path again over her proprietary Skinny Girl brand.
She's reportedly moved quickly to trademark the name Tipsygirl after her Real Housewives Of New York co-star Sonja Morgan launched a line of liquor called Tipsy Girl.
It seems Morgan's choice of name is too close for comfort to Frankel's signature brand, PageSix.com reported Sunday, and so she's filed trademark paperwork to own the name when it's spelled out as one word.
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Moneyspinner: Bethenny Frankel is fiercely protective of the Skinnygirl brand she created and which she sold to Beam Global for $100 million
Rival? In late November, Sonja Morgan unveiled her Tipsy Girl brand of Prosecco at her birthday party and it's reported she plans to launch a line of alcoholic beverages with that name too
The gossip site says that Morgan's business partner Peter Guimaraes already trademarked the two word name Tipsy Girl seven months ago.
It's the second time in two months that Frankel has set her attorneys on perceived competitiors.
Back in October, she filed suit against a couple she claims is trading off her fame by using the words Skinny Girl to sell weight loss tea.
Frankel's company SG Marks is suing Travis and Stacey Labarge for 'ripping off' the Skinnygirl brand she created, TMZ reported, and is asking a judge to stop the Labarges from using the name and to award her monetary damages as well.
Expanding business empire: Frankel is also overseeing the role of additional Skinnygirl products including protein shakes and bars. She's pictured in New York in November
Original Real Housewives Of New York cast member Frankel, right, left the Bravo reality series after season three, the first season that featured Morgan, left. Both appeared in season seven that ended in September
Keeping it in-house: Morgan is reportedly launching the Tipsy Girl brand in partnership with Peter Guimaraes who has been linked with fellow RHONY cast member Ramona Singer, pictured with him in May 2014
The Skinny Girl brand of low-calorie cocktails and liquor netted the reality star and entrepreneur $100 million when she sold it to Beam Global in 2011.
She got wind of Morgan's new business venture when it was reported that she'd served up her soon-to-be-launched Tipsy Girl Prosecco at her birthday party on November 24.
Guimaraes, who's also been linked to RHONY cast member Ramona Singer, said in email to PageSix.com that Frankel's actions were an 'underhanded move.'
The website quotes Guimaraes as saying:'[Frankel] is threatened by this Tipsy Girl brand, which is not a copycat nor competition for Skinnygirl. We are not advocating that you will lose weight with our product.'
He added that he and Morgan have plans to expand their line of beverages to include tequila, vodka and wine.
Rivals? It's reported that Frankel, left, thinks Morgan's choice of moniker is too similar to her own successful brand but Morgan, right, and her business partner are reported to have already trademarked it
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