Not Again…

So, Wrigley’s is on full offensive. According to the “World Intellectual Property Review”, Wrigley’s have sued owner of Dreamcore Enterprise, Mohammed Ibrahim Ghatala, who runs “vapefab.com” for use of its “Juicy Fruit” trademarks on its e-liquid bottles. What is even more terribly stupid, is that the company continued to sell the e-liquid even after being sent two cease and desist letters. And what makes the owner even MORE of a dumb ass, is that this is Wrigley’s second time going after e-liquid companies, suing “Chi-Town Vapes only a few months ago for the same exact reason.

One of the aspects of this story that we find most concerning  is the statement Wrigley has made after this instance. “Growing concern, shared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Senate, that the marketing of e-cigarette materials in chocolate, fruit and/or candy flavors harmfully targets children under 18 years of age” Wrigley states. Not only does the situation add more weight to this statement, but it also puts the industry under even more scrutiny with Wrigley’s being a huge powerhouse in food.  If Ghatala is found guilty of these charges, Wrigley’s can sue for all the lost revenue for the entire time the e-liquid was on the market, the trademark infringement itself, and of course the big one, damages.

How many more times will this need to happen before e-liquid companies stop? How much more damage to our image can our industry take before its under a full blown legislative attack? No longer can we support companies who engage in marketing malpractice & IP infringement. If we continue to turn a blind eye to companies like this, and not call them out for their embarrassing mistakes, than we can’t be upset nor surprised when companies come knocking for their money. And we especially can’t be surprised when we are regulated out of existence.