EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Murad, Inc., the skincare brand synonymous with high-performance, science-based products, has filed an unfair business practices lawsuit against CVS, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, for the unauthorized selling of diverted and defaced Murad products in CVS stores and on CVS.com. In the lawsuit, it is alleged that because CVS has no authorized relationship with Murad, CVS secretly diverts Murad products from unknown sources in order to sell Murad’s highly sought-after products in CVS stores and on CVS.com.
In the lawsuit, Murad alleges that many of the products sold by CVS have been defaced, meaning they have been stripped of Murad’s quality-control tracking features, such as hologram protection seals and unique batch codes. Like many other high-quality skincare companies, Murad uses tracking features to help prevent tampering and protect the public from counterfeit goods, health risks and other potentially serious harms.
Murad also uses these tracking features to help customers communicate back to Murad about the products that they purchased. All of this helps ensure that Murad branded products on retail store shelves are genuine, authentic, non-counterfeit, and have been subject to Murad’s quality control program. In the lawsuit, therefore, Murad seeks an injunction to stop CVS from continuing to engage in such conduct, so that the public can be protected and the integrity of the Murad brand can be safeguarded.
“Murad is dedicated to providing its consumers with the best possible products,” said Richard Murad, General Manager for Murad, Inc. “When you buy a Murad product from an authorized retailer, either domestically or internationally, you know the product has been subjected to Murad’s top notch quality control procedures and that it meets the high standards of the founder, Howard Murad, M.D, FAAD. Our relationships with authorized retailers, such as Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Massage Envy, and numerous spas and salons around the world, validate our mission to deliver high quality merchandise to the consumer through trusted retail outlets. This will not change, and on principle we will continue to take unrelenting legal action against anyone who threatens Murad’s brand integrity or otherwise poses a risk to the public by defacing the quality-control features we put on our products.”
In the complaint, Murad mentions that they have identified various instances where CVS has violated Murad’s copyright by reproducing images and text from Murad.com to advertise diverted Murad products on CVS.com. Murad alleges in the complaint that as of the filing date of the lawsuit, it appears that CVS, which has no authorized relationship with Murad, is selling over 40 Murad products on CVS.com and in certain brick-and-mortar CVS stores across the country.
ABOUT MURAD, INC.
Murad was founded in 1989 by Dr. Howard Murad, a board certified dermatologist, trained pharmacist and Associate Professor at the UCLA, Geffen School of Medicine. Murad offers people a path to youthful good health through science-based, clinically-proven skincare and healthcare products that have been developed as part of Dr. Murad’s Inclusive Health® system of care. With a full range of skin-condition-specific, high-performance products for home and spa—backed by 19 unique patents for advancing the science of skin health and a 30 year legacy of research and clinical testing—millions of people look to Murad with confidence for products, services and tools to help them look, live and feel Better Every Day®. Murad is used and recommended by over 30,000 professionals all across the globe and is sold in more than 45 countries.
