When you’re one of the most famous musicians of all time, it’s somewhat understandable that companies will want to piggyback on that fame to sell their product.
One Polish drinks company that tried to circumnavigate trademark laws by calling their drink ‘John Lemon’ have found themselves on the wrong side of his widow Yoko Ono, however.
‘John Lemon’, a vegan, gluten-free soft drink, was originally launched in 2012 – and is available in Ireland – but has been forced to change its name to ‘On Lemon’.
According to Reuters, Ono’s lawyers had warned the company that they faced a fine of €5000 per day and €500 per bottle sold if they continued to trade as they were. The company, in turn, claimed that there was no infringement intended – but Ono pointed to a Facebook post by ‘John Lemon Ireland’ that referenced Beatles song ‘Let It Be‘ and a photo of Lennon as evidence.
Source: entertainment.ie
