Beverly Hills wine marketer TI Beverage Group Ltd. is suing Terra Firma USA Inc., a wine distributor based in St. Louis, according to Wine-Searcher.com. TI markets wines, such as “Vampire,” “Dracula,” “Chateau Du Vampire” and “True Blood” under the Vampire Vineyards label. Since 2010, Terra Firma has been selling a wine labeled “Dracula’s Bloodlust,” which TI is alleging infringes upon its registered trademarks.
In 2012, TI’s sales director approached Terra Firma to offer it the opportunity to distribute a wine called “Dracula’s Blood,” but according to court documents, Terra Firma turned down the offer because it “did not want to sell a Halloween wine.” It was not until later that TI learned that Terra Firma was already distributing “Dracula’s Bloodlust,” which TI alleges in its lawsuit “has a garish label and is a cheap wine that comes from a region that to most people has a reputation for making poor quality wines.”
In its complaint to the Los Angeles federal court, TI says that trademarks for all of its brands are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It is seeking damages and costs and asking that Terra Firma be ordered to cease-and-desist from using any Dracula or vampire-related names on its wines, packaging and promotion.
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