It was recently announced that Jon Bon Jovi is demanding that the owner of energy drink Mijovi come up with a different name, saying that it's too similar to his own. However, Marcos Carrington says his coffee-based energy drink is named after his girlfriend Jovita and has no relation to the Jersey rocker.In a letter written this past January, the attorney representing Bon Jovi objected to "Mijovi" as well as other words "itsmijovi" and "itsmilife" that appear in the company's marketing materials and on the can of the drink. "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.'"
This is one of the sillier lawsuits that I have read about in awhile. Sure the names Bon Jovi and Mijovi are similar. But asking Carrington to change the name of his drink is going a little too far. Does this also mean that the word "jovial" can't be used to sell a product?
Now if the drink was called "Hair Metal Hack", Bon Jovi might have a case because he would be the first person to come to my mind. Not that it should be, but just think if it was illegal for artists to name their songs/albums after previous tunes or cliches... Bon Jovi would be in an orange jumpsuit right now. If you think I'm exaggerating, here's a trip through the Bon Jovi discography:
Runaway
Slippery When Wet
Slippery When Wet
Bed of Roses
In and Out of Love
Wanted Dead Or Alive
Bad Medicine
Blaze of Glory
and yes... It's My Life
I could go on, but you get the idea. Writing this post was somewhat difficult because I had a hard time getting Bon Jovi's songs out of my head (surprise, surprise... I am not a fan). Luckily, I looked at one of my CD stands and saw Prince's "The Hits and the B-Sides". Once I played "Controversy" in my mind and popped an Advil, everything was alright.
4 comments:
I have never been a Bon Jovi fan myself, but I did like the song American Idol contestant Lakisha Jones covered by his group called "This Ain't a Love Song". It might have just been her delivery of the goods. Anyhow, I think Bon Jovi's time could be better spent working on his career, rather than worrying about the name of a coffee drink (He hasn't been exactly setting the world on fire lately).
Worst case scenario: the drink is taking advantage of the Bon Jovi name...So What! Hasn't he ever heard that any publicity is good publicity??? He should be happy that there is a product on the market that just might bring his name to mind when it is purchased or consumed. Somebody might get sentimental and buy a Bon Jovi CD.
I guess it's up to me to defend the art of Mr. John Francis Bongiovi. I think he's being a tool, sure, but my, why all the hatin' on the music?
Where's the love for sappy power ballads like I'll Be There For You? No identifying with the rebel without a clue tune Wanted Dead or Alive? Or any of the smirky double entendre songs, most notably Slippery When Wet? Didn't you feel a trapped-in-a-small-town pang when you heard Livin' on a Prayer for the first time?
Oh, crap. I'm making your point for you. I hate when I do that.
Seriously, he needs to get over himself, but I'm going to be playing the first two Bon Jovi albums on my iPod tonight. Some of that was pretty good, though hair metal is a hell of a stretch. Try hair pop.
I read about this and thought he should be grateful for the publicity.
Bonjovi has never been my thing. I grew up in New Jersey and people worshiped him. High school was hell sometimes with all the swooning and imitation hair.
Prince can cure any ails I'm telling you! ;)
And I've given you an award.
Pjazzy: Good call on the publicity comments. I was on Yahoo Buzz this evening and found that for music searches he was at #13... a 71% increase!
Taj: it must have sucked for you to be living in NJ at the height of Bon Jovi's fame. I think that his timing was right (fellow Jersey rocker Springsteen was between albums when "Slippery When Wet" came out).
Also, thanks for the award! I checked it out your blog shortly after I got back into town.
Amy: Thanks.. you did make my point, lol. We have our guilty pleasures, so it's all good.
I don't remember you rocking to Bon Jovi back in our college days. Were you a closet Bon Jovi fan back then or did you get into him/them later on?
As for "hair metal", "pop metal", and "hair pop", they are interchangeable terms as far as I'm concerned.
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