Drinks producer forced to change its name after Yoko Ono lawsuit

Polish drink producer John Lemon has to change its name after reaching a settlement with the widow of the famous Beatle, Yoko Ono. Back in March, Ono’s lawyer contacted the company saying that in her opinion, their use of the name was abusing. The owners decided to settle, despite reserving the name in the EU in 2014. “Nobody believes us, but we really did not intend to build a brand using the image of John Lennon,” said Robert Orszulak, one of the company’s owners. “John is a popular name, and Lemon is a popular surname, so many people use it, but we decided to settle because costly litigation abroad could hurt our business. The settlement means no one lost,” Orszulak added. Founded in 2012, John Lemon sells soda drinks in over 20 European markets.