Pop star Bon Jovi is suing the Ocean County-based maker of an energy drink called Mijovi for trademark infringement, the Asbury Park Press reports today.
The suit against was filed after the singer and Middletown resident previously known as Jonathan Bongiovanni from Sayreville came across the product at Zebu Forno, the Press’ David Willis reports.
From the story:
But after Bon Jovi saw a can of Mijovi for sale in a Red Bank cafe in January, his lawyers sent [Marcos] Carrington, the founder of Manchester-based The Mijovi Co., a letter demanding that he stop using the name Mijovi.
“It is just unfair,” said Carrington, 37, of East Brunswick. “It is unfair because Mijovi has nothing to do with Bon Jovi.”
The name was inspired by his girlfriend, Jovita Saenz, he said.
The suit continued even after Carrington introduced himself and Saenz to Bon Jovi at an unidentified Red Bank restaurant “to try to clear up the matter and explain the company’s origins,” the Press reports.
Carrington has had a trademark application pending with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for 20 months, and a reviewer there recently found that Mijovi did not infringe on any other trademark, Willis reports.
“I worked very hard to build a brand, to build a company,” Carrington told the Press. “Bon Jovi is in the business of making music. I am in the business of making beverages.”
The drink maker’s website claims that “Mijovi is a new word… derived from three words of Latin origin to mean my jovial life.”
More from the story:
In a Jan. 22 letter, Los Angeles lawyer Peter Laird, representing Bon Jovi, objected to the word “Mijovi” as well as other words — “itsmijovi” and “itsmilife” that appear in the company’s marketing materials and on the can. Rather than use Carrington’s spelling, the letter used the phrases, “It’s My Jovi” and “It’s My Life.”
“As you should be aware, one of Bon Jovi’s most popular songs is entitled “It’s My Life,” the letter states. “We hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist all further use of the name “Mijovi’ and “It’s My Life.’ “
The name “Mijovi” infringes on the trademark “Bon Jovi,” and the use of “It’s My Life” is an attempt to associate Bon Jovi with the product, Laird wrote.
Like innumerable musicians, Bon Jovi is not averse to recycling titles. “It’s My Life,” of course, was the name of a song made famous by Eric Burdon and the Animals. Bon Jovi’s new album, “Lost Highway” has too many antecedents to count, including most famously Hank Williams.
you have to be kidding me! with all the "real" problems around us, this guy is worried about his fame and fortune being eroded by a tiny beverage company. come on john, let your hair down.
Frankly, I don't think the two names sound terribly alike.
Hey Jon,
Grow up!!!NO ONE CARES ABOUT SOME WHINING MILLIONAIRE!!!!Real ROCK N ROLL fans should be sueing you for unleashing that watered down CRAP you call music on the world.Let this poor guy make a living!!!!!
Hi Jon,
How does Bongiovanni sound like mijovi?????Better be careful or someone named Bon Jovi will sue you.Instead of playing the new arena with your so called "BAND???",try the circus,your a REAL CLOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr.Bongiovanni,
ramones,downbeat5,cynics,fleshtones,lyres,dictators,woggles,chesterfield kings,slade,mott the hoople,mudhoney,los straightjackets,sons of hercules,faces,stones,pretty things,sex pistols,gene vincent,charlie feathers,billy childish,the brood.Ever here these guys?…I didn't think so.This is ROCK N ROLL.
I,m on a roll here Jon.muddy waters,howlin wolf,hank williams,bo diddley,chuck berry,dave edmunds,nick lowe,dead boys,cramps,the sonics,untamed youth,esquerita,little richard,H BOMB ferguson,screamin'joe neal,hasil adkins,gary lewis and the playboys,john lee hooker,lightin hopkins,jimmy reed.GET WITH IT JON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
all great posts but Jeff takes it with "sue you for unleashing and playing that watered down crap and calling it rock and roll"
Now, don't get me wrong. I am a Bon Jovi fan, but I think his spat with Marcos Carrington over the name of his energy drink, "mijovi", is ridiculous. Marcos named it after his girlfriend, Jovita. Just because someone is famous, it shouldn't give them the right to claim ownership of anything that bears a resemblance to his or her name. Many years ago there was a photo store in Red Bank named "McPhoto". McDonald's forced them to change their name to something else. They changed it to "O'Photo". Would people really think that McPhoto had anything to do with McDonald's? And would people really think Bon Jovi had anything to do with mijovi? It isn't even written as Mi Jovi - come on, choose something more important to be bothered about. It just makes Bon Jovi look foolish over something so trivial.
you can't trademark a song title. if you search the ascap or bmi websites there are plenty of songs called "it's my life".
i was never a bon jovi fan and he has always seemed so arrogant and above everyone else. i was switching through channels the other day and caught the live earth concert. bon jovi was about to start another song. he said "lets all stand for the national anthem". then they started to play one of their hits! how full of yourself can a person be?? he should take humility lessons from bruce. now there is a respectable artist and person.
regarding this article, bon jovi's actions will give lots of free press to mijovi and will make him look like an ass (or a bigger ass). mijovi better start increasing production!
So Bon Jovi is moving out of his huge Middletown mansion. Don't let the door hit you, I say.
…so where is Mr.Bongiovanni moving?Hopefully far away.Now if only he would retire from the music business
I believe his real last name is Bonjiovi.
He is so ego-centric it isn't even funny. Any time he does anything that may help someone else out he has to make sure that there is a camera present. Nothing this guy does is from the heart. I will be buying this prouct and making sure I tell all my friends about it!!
His given name is John Bongiovi Jr. No J on Bongiovi.
He's not moving - that's a rumor because there is another mansion on NRR listed for $22,000,000, but it is not his, it's an older estate home that the people paid $13,500,000 for a year or so ago.
p.s. Jon, Get over yourself.
Here are these young people spending thousands of dollars to start a business in Bon Jovi's home state, and Bon Jovi is trying to squash them. Shame on him. I hope they don't relent.
yeh jeff, your right. even when they band helped out building houses for the homeless in Philly, whatd he do? He brought cameras and made it into a music video. Apparently he's really rude in person, i know someone who was driving and he cut them off coming out of his driveway, they blew the horn and he fliped them off and drove away.
About Jon being rude… I'm sure that he has had his moments, but he has visited my store on numerous occasions and has always been a gentleman. He has always been friendly and treated my staff very well. Just my 2 cents.
He's a sell out. Doesn't he have a home in the hampton's? What is wrong with the Jersey shore? And i think he is moving to NYC - maybe not selling the house - but he is moving his family to NYC. Why on earth does he have to deny this man a chance at making a decent living? this lawsuit is CRAZY! unless he is trying to help this guy and he knows if he sues him he will get all sorts of press and attention!!! maybe he is a REALLY nice guy willing to put his reputation on the line to help a hardworking homeboy!
This lawsuit makes me ashamed to claim that I'm from the same state as Jon! Good grief Jon, have you actually forgotten what it's like to struggle to make an HONEST living? Shame, shame, shame on you! How unfortunate that YOU are the role model that your children have!! You are a disgrace to the fine state of New Jersey, not to mention to parenthood!!!
Do I have to give my email address and name? I always hesitate to give personal info due to excess spamming and privacy invasion.
this is a disgusting example of some one with too much money using it to hurt someone that is just trying to make a living i know the guy who owns mijovi he is a hard working black guy who used to work at the landrover dealership and built this company with passion and sweat this is a pity and bonjovi should be ashamed of himself i hope three things comes of this 1 someone prints out all our comments and puts it in bonjovis mailbox so he sees how many of us thinks he is a giant asshole 2 some real rich guys reads this and decides to back this mijovi guy to expose bonjovi to the world as a bully and 3 this press makes mijovi a big sucess marcos desrves sucess and to be left alone
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