Australian skincare brand Aesop, owned by L’Oréal, has filed an unfair competition lawsuit against seven companies affiliated with Chinese personal care brand Amaxy, alleging lookalike packaging. The case, set for a hearing at Shanghai’s Fengxian District People’s Court on November 12, targets companies spanning Amaxy’s trademark ownership, manufacturing, brand operations and e-commerce distribution. The dispute centers on Amaxy’s amber bottles, black pumps and minimalist rectangular labels. Amaxy’s bestselling hand cream starts at 59 RMB ($9), versus 280 RMB ($42) for Aesop’s equivalent. In an earlier case against Anruz (安润适), an appeals court awarded Aesop 600,000 RMB ($89,700) in damages and costs. Aesop operates about 30 stores in China.

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