This spring a summons letter arrived, on behalf of Yoko Ono. She is not swept away by this initiative. The young entrepreneurs seek media attention as they found the letter unjust, but in our view they’re wrong. The JOHN LENNON name was registered as a trademark for a wide range of products, including beverages.
There has been a similar case against John Lemon gin some years before in Poland, resulting in the name being changed to On Lemon. Yoko Ono’s lawyer states that she does not want the name John Lennon to be commercialized. On the other hand, she also does not want to hamper young entrepreneurs. The crowdfunding that is currently running will probably be used to pay the costs of a name change. Lessons learnt for the young entrepreneurs: first check whether a new name can be used.
