50 Cent has accused Remy Martin of being on a "mission to eliminate" his cognac company, Sire Spirits. The New York rapper is in the midst of battling a lawsuit from Remy Cointreau, which claims Sire Spirits stole its bottle design from XO Cognac
“No brand or company has the right to exclude others from making or selling curved bottles for cognac or other alcohol,” 50 Cent's lawyer, Reena Jain, argued, according to AllHipHop. “Nonetheless, Remy Martin is on a mission to eliminate Sire Spirits from the cognac market.”
50 has said that the original inspiration his bottle shape comes from canteens used by soldiers during the Civil War. He deemed it the “Branson Bottle” when filing trademarks.
The rapper and his legal team claim that Remy Martin's case has nothing to do with similarities between the bottles, but instead is being carried out with the goal of getting rid of their competition.
“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,” Jain said.
50 hopes that the judge will dismiss the case and order Remy Martin to cover his legal fees.
[Via]