Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila sued by tequila brand Tequila 512 for trademark infringement and plagiarism

Kendall Jenner is facing another controversy. The model’s tequila company 818 Tequila is sued by its competitor Tequila 512. The latter accuses the former of trademark infringement, plagiarism, false designation of origin, as well as unfair business practices and competition, alleging that Jenner’s tequila brand copied its logo and colour scheme. 

Tequila 512 states that it has been using its logo and colour scheme since 2016. “Out of the entire world of colours and shapes to use for product design, Defendant chose to copy Plaintiff’s distinctive black lettering inside a vertical yellow rectangle,” the lawsuit claims.

In the lawsuit that was filed on 16 February in a California federal court, ClipBrands - the seller of Tequila 512 - also clarified that it has a federal trademark registration for 512, in addition to a pending application for registration of its trade dress.

The lawsuit also points out the similarity between both brands' names. 512 and 818 are both area codes. Kendall's 818 is named after the San Fernando Valley area code in which she grew up, while 512 is named after Austin area code, the place where the brand is founded. 

Tequila 512 also mentioned that in May 2021, 818 Tequila used a picture of a bottle of 512 instead of its own on the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood app. 

“Either Defendant intentionally used Plaintiff’s bottle, hoping to further blur the lines between the two products, or Defendant was itself confused about the difference between the two brands,” the lawsuit states.

Through the lawsuit, the Austin brand requests the court to stop 818 from using its branding to market its products. In addition, ClipBandits is seeking to be compensated with the profits Jenner’s company made from its alleged infringement. 

As reported by Culture Map, Tequila 512’s Blanco variety sells for $26.99, while a bottle of 818 Tequila’s Blanco variety sells for $39.99. Both are produced in the same distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. However, 818 Tequila is distilled twice and Tequila 512 is distilled thrice.