LOS ANGELES, CA - According to Roxx Vodka, David brings the village with him. In what is shaping up to be a modern day "David vs Goliath" Arizona based startup Nielsen Spirits and its founder Angie Nielsen will fight the good fight against what they believe is a meritless case brought by corporate giant Exxon Mobil (www.exxon.com).
Exxon claims that Roxx's logo will create a potential health risk by confusing the public that Exxon alleges could mistake ultra-premium Polish vodka for high octane gasoline. Roxx's responds that the day the public can't tell the difference between the two is the day that Roxx is out of business anyway. Exxon, with more than 83,000 employees worldwide with revenues measured in the tens of billions, claims that Roxx (www.facebook.com/smoothroxxvodka) with its two employees, would irreparably harm Exxon by diluting their mark if Roxx's logo remains the same. When the lawsuit was first made public, the reactions on internet sites like TechDirt ("Exxon Sues Roxx Vodka Over Xs: Oil And Vodka Are Oh So Similar") were overwhelmingly supportive of Roxx. These reactions have led Roxx to seek the public's help in defending itself via crowdfunding site Indiegogo at http://igg.me/at/saveourroxx. Roxx hopes that with the public's help they can defend not only themselves, but send a message to other large corporations that the days of steamrolling little guys, simply because you can, are over and disputes should be determined on their merit and not the disparity of the litigants' bank accounts. When asked whether she's crazy to fight a company like Exxon, Nielsen smiles and says her partner already fought and beat stage four cancer this year, so how bad can Exxon be? "This is important. I think we have a fighting chance, and therefore the obligation to try and effect change."
Exxon grossly overstated the scope of Roxx's involvement with an EDM festival as grounds to file suit in Miami, as far away as possible from where Roxx is actually sold. Roxx sees this as another bully tactic designed to capitalize on the difficulty they hope Roxx will have in defending itself so far from home. Roxx's Florida lawyer Chris Todd, who is based in Los Angeles, hopes to have the case dismissed or moved to Arizona or California, where Roxx can better put up a fight.
Corporate Contact bill@nielsenspirits.com