Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

Stephan Co., a maker of branded and private label personal care products, said Thursday it has filed a trademark infringement suit against high-end cosmetics maker Elizabeth Arden Inc. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that an Elizabeth Arden fragrance launched in March -- Provocative Interlude -- infringes upon Stephan's Interlude trademark. Stephan said it has made various fragrances under the Interlude trademark since the 1960s. The suit seeks to block sales of the Elizabeth Arden product. A spokesman at Elizabeth Arden was not immediately available to comment. Stephan shares were unchanged at $3.08 on the American Stock Exchange in afternoon trading, while Elizabeth Arden shares climbed 12 cents to $17.56 on the Nasdaq.