Prince faces contract infringement lawsuit from perfume company

A perfume company has filed a lawsuit against musician Prince and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), claiming that the artist and his music publisher have failed to honor a contract to help promote a perfume called "3121."

Revelations Perfume and Cosmetics Inc., a fragrance development and consumer product company located outside of Philadelphia, PA., has sued the funky star and UMPG for $100,000.

In its breach-of-contract lawsuit, filed in the New York State Supreme Court on Monday, the perfume company claimed that Prince and his record company skipped out on their obligation to help promote the fragrance inspired by his 2006 album “3121.”

Revelations alleges Prince canceled a business meeting 15 minutes before it started, and has cost the company $100K. The company says they licensed Prince's name, likeness and the album title "3121" to create two fragrances- “3121” that was launched last year and another due in 2009.

Revelations said it spent $2.5 million for the development of the fragrances and agreed to pay half of the net profits made from sales to Universal, which is owned by French media and telecoms conglomerate Vivendi. Still, the company says, neither Universal nor Prince participated in various promotions since the launch of the product.

"Since July 2007, despite repeated attempts by Revelations, there have been virtually no communications from anyone who could commit to or coordinate any promotional efforts by Prince," Revelations states in the lawsuit.

Although Prince's music studio in Chanhassen, Minn. didn't return a request for comment on the lawsuit, but Peter LoFrumento, a spokesman for Universal music, issued a statement saying the claims are "completely without merit."

Founded in 1998, Revelations is a fragrance development and consumer product company that design, develop, and manufacture products for mass market, department, and specialty retailers, which include total comprehensive turnkey services.

Revelations describes its “3121” as a white floral scent that opens with a refreshing sparkle of crisp bergamot, opulent jasmine and gardenia.

An influential star of the 1980s, Prince released his first album at age 19, on which he played all the instruments. He released his second album, Prince in 1979, followed by many others, including the best-selling “1999” (1982), the soundtrack of the film Purple Rain (1983), in which he also starred, and Diamonds and Pearls (1991).

In the 1980s and early 1990s Prince was romantically involved with many celebrities, including Madonna, Sheila E, Kirstie Alley, Whitney Houston, Kim Basinger, Troy Beyer, Susanna Hoffs, and Nona Gaye. He married his backup singer and dancer, Mayte Garcia on Valentine's Day, 1996. The two divorced in 2000.

Prince married Manuela Testolini in 2001 in a private Kingdom Hall ceremony but she filed for divorce in May 2006.