This sounds like a dumb lawsuit, but it could have big implications: Jack Daniel’s whiskey wants the Supreme Court to weigh in on a case . . . about a chew toy for dogs called “Bad Spaniels”.
It’s an obvious riff on their product and looks just like a bottle of Jack. But the wording on the label is different.
The famous Jack Daniel’s label says, “Old Number 7 Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey.” The Bad Spaniels label says “The Old Number 2 on Your Tennessee Carpet.” (Here’s a photo.)
The company that makes it has similar products for other drinks too: A Mountain Dew version called “Mountain Drool” . . . a Heineken one called “Heini Sniff’n” . . . and a Stella Artois version called “Smella R-Crotch.”
They say the people at Jack Daniel’s can’t take a joke. But Jack claims Bad Spaniels is too close to their whiskey, and could confuse people who might think it’s an official product of theirs.
They’ve actually been hashing this out for a long time. A Budweiser version called “ButtWiper” already got banned in 2008.
If Jack Daniel’s wins the case, it would force other parody products to be discontinued too. The Supreme Court could announce whether they’ll hear the case sometime this week, even as early as today.
