Elon Musk's 'Teslaquila' Plan Runs Into Opposition

Elon Musk could be in for another fight, this one over tequila. The Tesla co-founder recently announced his intentions to get into the booze business by launching "Teslaquila," a distilled agave liquor. But Mexico's Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) is opposing Tesla's application to trademark "Teslaquila," arguing that the word is too close to the word "tequila," which is a protected word. Denomination of origin rules stipulate that tequila has to be made in the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit or Tamaulipas, and dictates other requirements as well, Reuters reports.

If Tesla "wants to make Teslaquila viable as a tequila it would have to associate itself with an authorized tequila producer, comply with certain standards and request authorization from Mexico’s Industrial Property Institute," CRT says in a statement. "Otherwise it would be making unauthorized use of the denomination of origin for tequila," and customers might confuse it with actual tequila. Fortune notes similar rules are in place for champagne (which must come from the Champagne region in France), feta cheese (which must come from Greece), and other food and drink products. (Oprah's favorite tequila is expensive—very expensive.)