Photo: Elon Musk/Instagram
Making a name for oneself in the alcoholic beverages industry might not be as easy as making one in the auto industry, Elon Musk might soon find out.
The billionaire and his company have filed for a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in October on the Teslaquila name, defining it as "distilled agave liquor" and "distilled blue agave liquor."
This is just another of those moments when Musk says whatever pops into his head – he initially toyed with the idea of Teslaquila in April, as some type of April Fool’s joke – and then ends up putting his money where his mouth is.
Whereas most of the projects he backs are described as revolutionary and possibly world-changing, there’s little innovation this new product could bring to the tequila industry, one that has been around ever since the 16th century.
With so many years to properly regulate the industry, it’s understandable why the Mexican Tequila Regulatory Council would get upset by the idea.
According to Mashable, citing a Reuters report, the Council is opposing Teslaquila being trademarked because it resembles too much the word tequila, which is recognized as a Mexican designation of origin product in more than 40 countries, including Canada and the United States.
To be able to sell it in the U.S. under the chosen name, Musk and Tesla would have to comply with strict requirements for the booze, including its production in select locations in Mexico.
This would not be the first time a Musk-proposed name comes into conflict with already trademarked designations.
The names of the Tesla cars were supposed to create, when placed one next to another, the word SEXY (Model S, E, Y and X). But because Ford had already trademarked the name E for one of its future cars, Musk had to change the E to 3.
There’s probably no such solution to this Teslaquila business, and even Musk follows the Mexicans' rules, it remains to be seen whether the name will stick.
This is just another of those moments when Musk says whatever pops into his head – he initially toyed with the idea of Teslaquila in April, as some type of April Fool’s joke – and then ends up putting his money where his mouth is.
Whereas most of the projects he backs are described as revolutionary and possibly world-changing, there’s little innovation this new product could bring to the tequila industry, one that has been around ever since the 16th century.
With so many years to properly regulate the industry, it’s understandable why the Mexican Tequila Regulatory Council would get upset by the idea.
According to Mashable, citing a Reuters report, the Council is opposing Teslaquila being trademarked because it resembles too much the word tequila, which is recognized as a Mexican designation of origin product in more than 40 countries, including Canada and the United States.
To be able to sell it in the U.S. under the chosen name, Musk and Tesla would have to comply with strict requirements for the booze, including its production in select locations in Mexico.
This would not be the first time a Musk-proposed name comes into conflict with already trademarked designations.
The names of the Tesla cars were supposed to create, when placed one next to another, the word SEXY (Model S, E, Y and X). But because Ford had already trademarked the name E for one of its future cars, Musk had to change the E to 3.
There’s probably no such solution to this Teslaquila business, and even Musk follows the Mexicans' rules, it remains to be seen whether the name will stick.
Google News