shutterstock-175083938-web
Photo: Gil C / Shutterstock.com
17 April 2014Trademarks

Irish whiskey company in Bacardi trademark row

The maker of The Wild Geese Irish whiskey brand has launched a campaign against drinks maker Bacardi that claims the company’s new marketing campaign is infringing its trademark.

Avalon Group says Bacardi’s ‘Untameable’ marketing campaign is a “cut and paste job” of its ‘Untamed’ trademark.

The Untamed brand tells the story of the ‘wild geese’, the name apparently given to the Irish diaspora. Avalon said ‘Untamed’ has been trademarked around the world since 2009, including in the US, to protect whiskey and rum products.

In November 2013 Bacardi, famed for its white rum, launched a worldwide advertising campaign called ‘Bacardi Untameable’.

Bacardi says the campaign tells the story of the allegedly “untameable” Bacardi family facing adversity in exile.

In response, Avalon has created a website where it criticises the campaign and has also filed an opposition at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to Bacardi’s attempt to register ‘Untameable’ as a trademark.

“Bacardi seems to feel that by placing its brand name in front of your trademark, it can then take ownership of your identity,” the campaign website said.

“Through its actions, it is clear that the Bacardi family believes it can outspend and outlast The Wild Geese. It has picked on the wrong company.

“If Bacardi’s tactics are allowed to stand, all entrepreneurs are in danger of having their IP – their trademark, their brand, their identity – taken from them by big companies,” it added.

Andre Levy, chair of Avalon distributor Protégé International, said taking Bacardi to court would have cost time and money.

“We want to make a difference and highlight what is happening all the time and come up with a creative solution that will actually stop this,” Levy told The Spirits Business website.

“That’s what we’re trying to do with the campaign.”

Bacardi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Already registered?

Login to your account

To request a FREE 2-week trial subscription, please signup.
NOTE - this can take up to 48hrs to be approved.

Two Weeks Free Trial

For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription that we can add you to for FREE, please email Adrian Tapping at atapping@newtonmedia.co.uk


More on this story

Trademarks
16 February 2018   Whiskey maker The Wild Geese has written a third open letter to drinks brand Bacardi, in the latest development of an ongoing dispute between the alcohol companies.
Trademarks
23 February 2018   The Wild Geese has told WIPR that it disputes comments made by Bacardi in relation to the spirit companies’ ongoing trademark feud.