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Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila sued over trademark
Model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila is facing a trademark lawsuit from Texan brand Tequila 512.
The lawsuit, filed in California on Wednesday 16 February, accuses 818 Tequila of trademark infringement, false designation of origin and unfair competition.
In court documents obtained by the PA news agency and reported on The Irish News, Tequila 512 claimed that 818 Tequila ‘intentionally copies’ the Texan company’s branding, noting similarities between the business’ brand names and packaging designs.
Jenner, who rose to fame on the reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, released 818 Tequila in May 2021. The brand’s name is inspired by the 818 area code in San Fernando Valley, California.
Tequila 512 launched in 2012, and is named after the 512 area code in Austin, Texas, where the company is based.
In addition, both companies use bold black lettering inside a yellow box on their labels. 512 Tequila said 818’s design is a ‘blatant’ copy of its own.
Tequila 512 first pointed out the alleged similarities between the two brands in an Instagram post in May 2021.
‘You may have seen that @kendalljenner released a “new” Tequila today,’ the post read. ‘Note the similarities, including the color, the name and it is made at the same distillery in Tequila Mexico as ours.’
A spokesperson from 818 Tequila told The Spirits Business: “818 does not believe there is any merit to these claims. We cannot otherwise comment on the matter.”
The Spirits Business has requested comment from Tequila 512.
Jenner’s 818 Tequila has experienced rapid sales since its launch, posting 136,000 case sales in its first seven months of business. But the brand has also faced backlash, with accusations of cultural appropriation in the press and on social media regarding its marketing.
In October last year, 818 unveiled a major sustainability push by partnering with Sacred Agave for an ongoing project to turn raw, post-production agave fibres into bricks that can be used to build structures in the communities that produce agave spirits.
