Soft drinks manufacturer Coca-Cola has filed an opposition in Chile against the registration of the word ‘Cocaine’ for a non-alcoholic beverage. Coca-Cola claims that registering the name of a hard drug for an energy drink infringes standards of moral decency.
‘Marihuna’
In its opposition, the US beverage giant points out that Chile has already refused registration of the trade marks Marihuna and Ko Caine on similar grounds.
Cocaine doing well
Coca-Cola’s action presumably isn’t based solely on a desire to fight immoral trade marks, but is primarily also a response to the similarity between the Cocaine’s red can and that of its own drink.
Other countries
Cocaine isn’t only available in Chile; it’s also sold in many other countries, including the US. So the possibility that Coca-Cola will go on the warpath elsewhere can’t be ruled out.
