50 Cent’s cognac brand filed a motion in a Manhattan federal court Monday asking to have a lawsuit filed by E. Remy Martin & Co. dismissed. The lawsuit, filed in August, claims the Branson bottle design looks a little too much like that of Remy’s XO bottle.
But the attorney representing Sire Spirits thinks Remy Martin is just trying to eliminate the competition. According to Fif’s legal team, Remy Martin’s trade dress infringement claims are baseless.
“No brand or company has the right to exclude others from making or selling curved bottles for cognac or other alcohol,” said 50 Cent’s lawyer Reena Jain. “Nonetheless, Remy Martin is on a mission to eliminate Sire Spirits from the cognac market.”
Sire Spirits asks a judge for Remy Martin’s lawsuit against Branson Cognac to be dismissed with prejudice. They are also asking to hold the company responsible for all the legal fees associated with the case.
“Remy Martin’s efforts to monopolize the cognac market and draw spirits into a multi-front legal battle in order to force an exorbitant settlement should not be allowed to continue,” said Jain.
Remy Martin has even gone so far as to sue Sire Spirits’ bottler Cognac Embouteillage in France.
