Yoko says a flat ‘oh no’ to ‘John Lemon’ drink
Lawyers for the beverage firm denied it had infringed the star’s rights
IT WASN’T exactly instant karma when Beatle John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, heard about a Polish beverage company’s new drink called “John Lemon”.
She threatened legal action, alleging that it infringed the trademark of her late husband.
The company has now agreed to change its drink’s name to “On Lemon”, after lawyers acting for Ono wrote to distributors warning they faced costs of up to 5 000 (R79 000) a day and 500 for every bottle sold if they infringed the trademark.
Lawyers acting for the beverage firm denied it had infringed the late star’s rights, but Ono’s lawyers pointed to a Facebook post from John Lemon Ireland, which featured an image of the iconic singer.
Other marketing materials included the brand’s logo next to the words “let it be” and a pair of round glasses, both closely associated with Lennon.
John Lemon’s lawyers pointed out that their EU trademark had been registered in 2014, two years earlier than the John Lennon trademark, registered in 2016.
Karol Chamera, the founder of Mr Lemonade Alternative Drinks which distributed the John Lemon beverage in the UK, told the East London Advertiser newspaper: “All of us involved with this product are start-ups and we couldn’t take on someone who is worth many, many millions.”