Pitbull is suing the E. & J. Winery & New Amsterdam Spirits Company for naming their new vodka recipe the ‘Pit Bull.’ The rapper trademarked his name back in 2000 and alleges that the company has been using his trademark in their efforts to promote the alcoholic beverage. The drink is made up of 2 parts New Amsterdam vodka, 1/2 part lime juice, 1/2 part grapefruit juice, and parts lemon/lime soda.
Pitbull endorses Voli vodka, which is featured both in his music video Give Me Everything and in the lyrics of his song Rain Over Me.
“[Voli] gave me a great opportunity to be an owner of a brand that I really believed in,” he told the Los Angeles Times when he first became involved with the brand. “That’s why I got involved with Voli. It’s in a market where it’s needed and everybody wants it.”
"@pitbull: Obrigado @JLo @ClaudiaLeitte @OfficialBBMAs #BBMAs pic.twitter.com/atO9bR8cCt" Love you Boss!!!
— Voli (@VoliSpirits) May 19, 2014
The rapper is now demanding that the E. & J. Winery & New Amsterdam Spirits Company provides him with compensation for their earnings made from the Pit Bull. He also wants them to stop using the name immediately.
A couple of months ago Pitbull’s Voli brand was targeted in a lawsuit over a young man’s death at the scene of one of their promotional events. A boat featuring the Voli logo ran aground, prompting the captain to ask for help from the promo attendees. One of them got too close to the engine and was killed at the event.
Pitbull’s Voli brand is a low-calorie fruit-flavored vodka line–not completely unlike the Pit Bull the defendant’s company was serving.
game changer @VoliSpirits pic.twitter.com/t5iEWATISh
— Pitbull (@pitbull) May 14, 2014
In happier news, Pitbull appeared at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night where he performed his new song We Are One. The song debuted on Friday.
thanks so much for more than 10 million views in 2 days #WeAreOne @JLo @ClaudiaLeitte http://t.co/WhmJMv3kOY
— Pitbull (@pitbull) May 18, 2014
Do you think the rapper will win his lawsuit or will lawyers argue that he doesn’t hold a trademark for the different spelling of his name?
Image via Twitter