OREGON IP
Coppola objects to Copa Di Vino’s use of black wine labels with gold elements
The owner of the Coppola wine trademarks, GMYL, L.P., has sued Oregon winemaker Copa Di Vino in the Central District of California. The Complaint alleges trademark and trade dress infringement and unfair competition based on Copa’s wine labels and packaging for some of its products, including its “Winemaker’s Cut” product.
The Complaint asserts that the following features of Copa’s labels and packaging are “virtually identical” or “confusingly similar” to features of Coppola’s Black Label and Director’s Cut products:
- a vertical rectangular black label on the front center of the wine bottle;
- feature gold design elements, including grapes and grape vines;
- a thin gold net surrounding the entire bottle which presents an overall diamond pattern encompassing the wine bottle; and
- the word “COPA,” which is confusingly similar to “COPPOLA”
The following side-by-side comparison of Coppola’s and Copa’s labels is included in the Complaint.
Copa’s owner, James Martin, was also named as a defendant. Mr. Martin is somewhat well known for his appearances on the reality show “Shark Tank.” He appeared twice on ABC’s reality show “Shark Tank” and each time rebuffed offers to invest in his company’s wine-by-the-glass packaging business. See Why an Oregon winemaker is OK with being the ‘most hated’ pitchman to appear on ‘Shark Tank’, Portland Business Journal.
Posted on 9/9/2016 by Deakin T. Lauer