‘We are suing them’: Tammy Taylor owners respond to exposé

Following the Carte Blanche report on Sunday 30 October, the Tammy Taylor SA owners — Peet and Mel Viljoen — have responded and have said that they are suing the team.

One half of the Tammy Taylor SA owners, Peet Viljoen spoke to The South African in an exclusive interview on Monday 31 October.

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TAMMY TAYLOR SA SUES CARTE BLANCHE

Peet Viljoen says he is suing Carte Blanche‘s presenter Masa Kekana for R20 million for defamation of character.

“She is currently being charged criminally. The interdictory date is the 15th [of November]…And also I am suing her for R20 million for defamation of character…The lawyer that made the assumption last night (30 October) saying that what we are doing is illegal is also being sued for R20 million for defamation,” Peet said.

Mel Viljoen’s husband said they are not doing anything illegal. There is no trademark infringement on their side because they redesigned the logo, the name and use the same manufacture company as Tammy Taylor US for their Tammy Taylor Nails products in South Africa.

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Peet said Tammy Taylor is the only person that can have an issue with that, but “she can’t shout and scream on Instagram…we should not be fighting this in the media. She must just got to the Supreme Court, get the order and convince them…but she knows that if she does that, I will put my side of the story and then she would have to fork out millions of dollars”.

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‘TAMMY IS INFRINGING OUR TRADEMARKS’

The Viljoens claim that they own the logo, products and the franchise system in South Africa while Tammy owns the old Tammy Taylor logo in the US.

“A franchise is a bunch of intellectual property…the trademark on the name is one thing, but we have also trademarked the words, work that she is infringing on and that we registered here and in America so she’s also infringing our trademarks.

Peet said Tammy Taylor actually owns nothing in South Africa.

“The only issue is the trademark issue and what Carte Blanche failed to mention is that there is only one person missing in the fight and she is not here. She is not answering her phone but we are defending her rights,” he explained.

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‘OUR FRANCHEES ARE HAPPY’

The husband of the Real Housewives van Pretoria star then asked who Carte Blanche is helping and defending because his franchisees want nothing to do with them [Carte Blanche]. According to him, the investigative show only approached his former franchisees and not the current ones.

“They did not speak to any of my franchisees…when you buy a Tammy Taylor, you buy exclusive rights of use to a certain law…none of them have issued summons against me, none of them have complained, they just go to the press.”

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Peet claimed that none of the people whom Carte Blanche spoke to “are newer than four years”.

“The list that Carte Blanche reported on, is the same list they reported on two years ago.

“My most successful franchise is the one in Sandton…she will tell you that she makes a lot of money from that franchise…we have done everything by the book and legally right.”

ALSO READ: Mel & Peet Viljoen on previous Tammy Taylor Nails controversy