A few months ago, On Reserve reported about Napa Valley’s Duckhorn Wine Co. and its suit against Long Island-based Duck Walk Vineyards. See Duckhorn Wine Co. Files a Complaint Against Duck Walk Vineyards Alleging Consumer Confusion on Wine Labels. We were a bit skeptical as to the argument for consumer confusion for…
Category: Wine Lawsuits
Hennessy Wins Trademark Infringement Case in China Against Beijing Company
The Drinks Business reported last week that renowned cognac producer Hennessy won a trademark case in China against a Beijing company for trademark infringement and unfair competition. As demonstrated previously, China can be a difficult market for true brand owners to obtain trademark. See, e.g., Kasite Trademark Sours for French Vintner Caste; see also What’s…
French Wine Company Castel Frères to Pursue Trademark Battle Against Panati in China’s Supreme Court
A few weeks ago, On Reserve documented the story of Château Listran and the winery’s inevitable trademark defeat in the Chinese market by way of brand squatters. This week, we bring you a very similar story detailing the grievances of China’s trademark laws and impact on true brand owners who pursue…
Third Time’s a Charm: William Koch Back in Court for Another Counterfeit Wine Lawsuit
William Koch, billionaire and avid wine collector, is back in court for yet another wine lawsuit—but this one is completely unrelated to our two prior entries discussing Mr. Koch’s lawsuits. In this suit, Mr. Koch is suing Eric Greenberg, a businessman and the alleged seller of counterfeit wine. Koch purchased…
Wine Law Wrap-Up for the Week of March 18, 2013
Some very exciting wine law news emerged this week, including two stories that top the headlines of many leading publications. In the state of Massachusetts comes a story about direct shipment and a public figure. On the opposite end of the legal spectrum, we have a pending lawsuit brought by…
Wine Law Updates: Restaurants Sue Wine Storage Facility, Revealing Seller’s Name at Auction, and Calorie Labeling for Wine in the UK
Some very interesting updates over the last week have occurred for the wine and law community. Below are three of the most interesting, involving a wine storage facility, potential new rules at auction, and calorie labels in the United Kingdom. East Coast Restaurants Sue WineCare Storage Facility for $2 Million…
Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, and Litigation in the Context of Wine and the Law
The last week presented three very different stories in the context of wine the law, ranging from criminal law to constitutional law issues. The most pertinent are summarized below. On the wine law docket for the week of January 14, 2013: Chateaux Commence Legal Action Against St. Emilion Classification: This…
A Different Type of Wine Shipping Case: Great Northern Insurance v. Cellar Advisors
Some interesting news from the last week in the context of wine. On the docket for this week: Transport Company Sued for Over $2 Million Wine Shipment: Owners of a private wine collection, valued at over $2 million, being shipped across the United States sued Cellar Advisors, LLC. The…
Osawa Wines Wins Labeling Dispute Against Chateau Mouton Rothschild Estate for Flying Mouton Label
Recently, Osawa Wines won a labeling dispute against Chateau Mouton Rothschild Estate. The disagreement, which spawned over the use of the wine label Flying Mouton, originated in 2008 when Osawa started producing a new alcohol beverage product with a Flying Mouton wine label. Shortly thereafter, Chateau Mouton Rothschild estate filed…
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Dismisses Koch Wine Suit on Statute of Limitations
Last year, On Reserve posted an article about the suit brought by Koch against Christie’s in a New York federal district court. New York District Court Judge, Honorable Barbara Jones, granted the motion to dismiss of the auction house Christie’s and dismissed the suit against the acclaimed auction house. In…