Energy Drink Gives Bon Jovi Bad Name
July 24th, 2007 by Sam
It’s his name and he wants to keep it that way.
A lawyer for Jon Bon Jovi is demanding a New Jersey entrepreneur change the moniker of his Mijovi energy drink because it sounds too much like the 45-year-old rocker’s famous name and could cause confusion among Bon Jovi fans.
In a Jan. 22 letter to drink maker Marcos Carrington, a copy of which was obtained by the Asbury Park Press, the musician’s Los Angeles-based lawyer Peter Laird took issue with the name Mijovi and other words featured on cans and in promotional materials for the caffeine-based beverage, including “itsmijovi” and “itsmilife.”
The legal eagle claimed the phrases infringed on the trademark “Bon Jovi” and were an attempt to associate the energy drink with one of the band’s biggest hits, “It’s My Life.” The cease and desist missive eschewed Carrington’s spelling in favor of “It’s My Jovi” and “It’s My Life.”
“As you should be aware, one of Bon Jovi’s most popular songs is entitled “It’s My Life,” Laird wrote. “We hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist all further use of the name “Mijovi” and “It’s My Life.”
In an interview Carrington smacked down the assertion that his energy booster tried to capitalize on Bon Jovi’s reputation, pointing out that he named it after his girlfriend, Jovita Saenz.
“This business has nothing to do with Bon Jovi nor was it inspired by him,” the drink’s founder said. “Mijovi is about building a brand that emphasizes personal and global responsibility. The name itself was inspired by Jovi, short for Jovita, which means ‘jovial life.’ Bon Jovi makes music and Mijovi makes lifestyle beverages.”