Jimi Hendrix Vodka Lawsuit

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Jimi Hendrix Estate Wins $3.2M Lawsuit Against Vodka Maker
(As reported by the Puget Sound Business Journal online)

The estate of Jimi Hendrix is claiming a $3.2 million judgment victory in the fight against the maker of a brand of vodka that featured an image of the late Seattle rock guitarist on the bottle. The family companies claimed an initial court victory last October.

The fight began three years ago, when Electric Hendrix LLC introduced Hendrix Electric Vodka, a 100 percent grain vodka made from corn and rye from Utah and Idaho. Electric Hendrix officials, including CEO Craig Dieffenbach, claimed to have the family’s blessing with the vodka but that apparently wasn’t the case.

Experience Hendrix LLC and Authentic Hendrix LLC, which claimed to own the Hendrix music and licensing rights, sued Electric Hendrix two years ago, saying Dieffenbach and his company infringed on Jimi Hendrix trademarks “in an unauthorized, tasteless promotion.”

Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix, said she was “gratified that justice has been served” by U.S. District Court (in Seattle) Judge Thomas Zilly’s $3.2 million judgment. “This judgment recognizes our family’s long-standing commitment to preserve the Jimi Hendrix legacy and artistic vision,” she said in a statement.

Hendrix died in 1970. Previous attempts to reach an Electric Hendrix spokesman in Seattle were unsuccessful; the company’s website is no longer operating.

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