R&B star Beyonce Knowles is being sued by clothing firm Abercr****ie and Fitch over an upcoming perfume line.

The Single Ladies singer recently signed with the world's largest fragrance company, Coty, to launch a line of perfumes in 2010.

Abercr****ie said it was worried the line from Beyonce, whose uses thealter ego Sasha Fierce, would infringe on its own Fierce fragrancebrand.

But Coty said it had no plans to use the Sasha Fierce name in its branding.

Cologne sales

According to legal papers filed in Columbus, Ohio, Abercr****ie has held a trademark for the word "fierce" since 2003.

The company claims Beyonce, whose most recent album is called I Am...Sasha Fierce, would unfairly benefit from the reputation Abercr****iehad built for the scent and could confuse or deceive customers intothinking it was associated with her fragrance.

Abercr****ie said such confusion could deprive it of control over its trademark and perhaps cost it sales.

The legal action seeks to halt potential trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.

"The terms Fierce and Sasha Fierce are not being used as names of a Beyonce fragrance," Coty said.

"Details related to the fragrance, including the official name, will be revealed prior to the launch in early 2010," it added.

Abercr****ie sells Fierce at more than 350 retail stores, typically for$40 (£24) to $70 (£42). It has sold more than $190m (£115m) worth ofthe fragrance since it was launched in 2002, and expects $64m (£39m) ofsales in 2009.