Pop star Mariah Carey has bought out a trademark used by a Dublin-based drinks company. The American singer, 53, had been locked in a legal dispute with the Irish firm Darker Still Spirits for two years, but it was announced yesterday that the company had agreed to sell its "Black Irish" name to the singer's liqueur brand of the same name.
The Dublin firm had claimed ownership in the UK and EU of the "Black Irish" name it used for its whiskey. However, that whiskey, first launched in 2020, will now be known as "Born Irish" as a result of the sale to the five-time Grammy winner.
In August of 2021, Ms Carey had launched her Irish cream liqueur brand - also called Black Irish - through a company called Splashes Beverages. The star described the product as "crafted in Ireland with aged Irish whiskey and dairy sourced from Irish farms", though it is not clear who is producing the drink for her here.
Richard Ryan - who, along with Irish drinks industry veterans Dave Phelan, Adrian Walker and Steven Pattison, created Black Irish whiskey - said: "We are delighted to have resolved this trademark issue with Mariah's team so that we are both able to sell our respective brands in our desired territories. On a personal note, we also wish Mariah and her team the best of fortunes with their cream liqueur brand."
Last week, Ms Carey announced that her liqueur would go on sale in parts of South America and the Caribbean this spring, marking its first move outside of the US. Ms Carey, who has more US number-one hits than any other solo artist in music history, announced the launch to her 10.4million followers on Instagram. She said: "Two years in the making. Truly a cause for celebration."
The drink was said to be named in honour of her mixed heritage, as she was born to a black Venezuelan father and an Irish mother. However, due to the legal dispute between Darker Still Spirits and Splashes Beverages over the trademark, Ms Carey's liqueur was only sold in the US, while the Dublin firm sold its whiskey in Ireland, the UK, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.
However, both sides have confirmed that the issue has been resolved. Under an agreement reached at the end of December and concluded last month, the Black Irish trademark has been bought by representatives of Ms Carey. Darker Still Spirits intends to roll out the sale of Born Irish whiskey around the world before the end of this year.
(Evoke)
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