Tequila 512 filed a lawsuit against its competition in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on February 16. Tequila 512 has accused American model Kendall Jenner’s brand 818 Tequila of shamelessly copying their company’s name and design. They accused the company of trademark infringement, misleading designation of origin, and unfair competition.
Tequila 512 alleged in court papers acquired by E! News that 818 Tequila stole its logo “blatantly and easily.” The lawyers point to Jenner’s brand’s usage of a three-digit area code (818 is the San Fernando Valley in California, and 512 in Austin, Texas). They also alleged that 818 Tequila chose to “clone” the brand’s distinguishing black lettering inside a yellow rectangle.
“The two items are being compared. Customers may mistakenly assume that the goods are linked.”
According to remarks acquired by the Daily Mail, 818 Tequila has rejected “any validity” in the competition brand’s accusations. Tequila 512 reps said Jenner’s alcohol company had plenty of time to correct their faults since the resemblance between the two names arose in the media in 2021.
“We not only have the right, but also the legal responsibility, to preserve our trademarks. They are aware of this and have placed us in a situation where we have no option but to take action to safeguard our distinct brand identity.”
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Kendall started her company in May 2021, naming it after the San Fernando Valley area code where she grew up.
Kendall Jenner’s half-sister Kim Kardashian was also named in the complaint.
Although Kendall Jenner is the brand’s ambassador, her sister Kim Kardashian is also mentioned in the case. According to court filings, 818 Tequila sold its drink as a virtual product on the mobile app game ‘Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.’ Instead of the graphics and design of 818, the game showed a bottle of 512 Tequila.
“Plaintiff in no manner authorized this usage. Either Defendant utilized Plaintiff’s bottle on purpose, seeking to further blur the distinctions between the two items, or Defendant was unclear about the difference between the two brands.”
Tequila 512 brought noted parallels between the two firms on Instagram in May 2021, when 818 Tequila originally began. Five hundred fifteen compared the brand to Kendall Jenner’s new tequila in the caption. Their booze is only distilled twice, but she costs twice as much per bottle.
