Monday, July 2, 2018

Yolo Rum Wins Trademark Battle


     After a five-and-a-half year legal battle, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a trademark for Yolo Rum.   Yolo Rum has been awarded a trademark by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  The trademark request was first filed in December 2012. At the same time, a number of other companies also filed for an intent to use the Yolo trademark.  Philip Guerin, founder of Yolo Rum, said: “All these applicants created a real ‘log jam’ for our trademark.  “I wish they all had just Googled, Yolo Rum, back then. It could have really prevented wasted resources and time.”

     The Denver-based rum brand is made using aged rums from Panama, which are blended by rum master Don Pancho Fernandez.  Yolo Rum also announced this week that it plans to become the first “democracy-powered” spirit brand.  The rum brand has turned to crowdfunding and is inviting the public to invest through online platform Wefunder to help build the company.  Guerin added: “We have an amazing team and adding hundreds of brand advocates that are vested through ownership is the definition of ‘democracy-powered.'”  The brand hopes the crowdfunding campaign will raise at least US$125,000 to fund expansion and marketing drives.