US court rules Melany Viljoen pay Tammy Taylor R71 million

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A United States court has ruled that South African couple Peet and Melany Viljoen must pay $3.9 million (approximately R71 million) in statutory damages to Tammy Taylor, the American founder of Tammy Taylor Nails.

The judgment was handed down by the Southern District of California, which also issued a permanent injunction banning the Viljoens from using the Tammy Taylor name, branding, or trademarks.

The court has officially cancelled their US trademark registration and prohibited any future business activity affiliated with the brand.

Licensing dispute and uncontested case

Taylor filed the lawsuit in April 2024, accusing the Viljoens of unauthorised use of her brand after their licensing agreement was terminated.

The couple reportedly did not defend the case in court, allowing a default judgment to be entered.

Taylor originally sought R390 million in lost profits, citing reputational damage and global brand confusion, but the court dismissed that portion due to insufficient evidence.

Clean break ordered

The Viljoens have now been ordered to scrub all use of the Tammy Taylor name, including:

Salon signage
Websites
Social media accounts
The domain tammytaylornails.co.za

The ruling also requires that all public-facing material no longer imply any association with the original Tammy Taylor brand.

Legal and public silence

The Viljoens’ South African attorney, Hein Wiese, declined to comment on the judgment or confirm whether the pair remain in South Africa.

The original Tammy Taylor has until 16 July to renew her motion for additional damages or to pursue trademark enforcement in South Africa.

This case has drawn widespread attention in the beauty industry, particularly in South Africa, where the Tammy Taylor name has been heavily promoted under the Viljoens’ franchise network in recent years.