Tesla Wins Lawsuit Against “Tesla Beer” Trademark Infringement Case

On August 10th, according to Tesla China, the judgment result of the trademark infringement case filed by Tesla against “Tesla Beer” was announced.

The court recognized Tesla’s series of trademarks as well-known trademarks and ordered the defendant, Zhongyin Food Co., Ltd. (“Tesla Beer”), to immediately cease infringing on the exclusive rights of Tesla’s series of trademarks, stop unfair competition behavior, compensate Tesla with ¥5 million ($690,000), and publish a public statement in newspapers to eliminate the impact. Subsequently, “Tesla Beer” appealed and the second-instance court upheld the original judgment.

It is reported that starting from 2019, a series of alcoholic beverages named “Tesla Soda” and “Tesla Beer” have been circulating on the market. The trademark features a T-shaped logo, and the promotional materials often include phrases such as “the pioneer brand of pre-mixed drinks in America” and “an internationally top-notch brand.” Some promotional images even feature the Tesla Model X car model.

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Tesla has filed a lawsuit against the company after discovering it. Tesla China stated that as a leader in the electric vehicle industry, Tesla has gained high recognition worldwide and quickly became well-known upon entering China. In this ruling, the court recognized the Tesla series trademark as a “well-known trademark.” Therefore, the actions of “Tesla Beer” were deemed to be improperly using Tesla’s long-established reputation for market competition. The repeated use of Tesla’s cars and name in advertising to mislead consumers was considered subjective malice and constituted trademark infringement.

Previously, Tesla also sued for trademark infringement of the “Tesla Used Cars” and was awarded a compensation of ¥300,000 ($42,000).