Elon Musk may be a name more closely associated in the tech industry but it seems that the Tesla CEO has a tendency to also get involved in controversies outside of his field. Still, Musk's latest controversial issue is particularly surprising due to trouble brewing over Tequila.
According to Reuters, Elon Musk's latest push to trademark an alcoholic drink named Teslaquila may be be putting him at odds with Mexico's official regulatory body for Tequila, the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). Definitely a surprising turn of events for a public figure who has had success in selling flamethrowers made by a company named The Boring Company.
The controversy seems to have started when Elon Musk posted an update with a link on Twitter that said "Teslaquila coming soon." The link led to a CNBC article covering Elon Musk's efforts to file Teslaquila as a trademark. This tweet was quickly followed by Elon Musk posting a picture of what appears to be a liqour bottle with the label worded "Teslaquila" with the caption indicating it is "100 percent Puro de Agave."
Teslaquila coming soon ... https://t.co/AtoVGOtvVR — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 12, 2018
Visual approximation pic.twitter.com/sMn3Pv476Y — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 12, 2018
As it turns out, the word Tequila is apparently a protected word which the CRT emphasizes refers to a spirit made from agave and is explicitly produced from the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, or Tamaulipas. According to the publication, a CRT representative also reminds Elon Musk that should he wish to pursue ensuring Teslaquila's viability as a Tequila, he would have to work with an authorized Tequila producer, comply with the CRT's standards, and request authorization from Mexico's Industrial Property Institute.
According to Reuters, Elon Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla - which the portmanteau Teslaquila is being named after - has yet to respond after several requests for comments. Interesting enough, it appears that Teslaquila may have a history as interesting as its current regulatory speed bump.
As The Verge relays, the idea of Teslaquila actually started as an April Fool's joke from earlier this year. The story starts with Elon Musk posting a photo of himself on Twitter in an apparently drunken state with a caption describing him to be surrounded by Teslaquila bottles.
While The Verge's article seems to find Elon Musk's Teslaquila idea a potentially viable business considering Musk's success selling his flamethrowers, it seems that making Teslaquila and actual reality is more complicated than expected. Those hoping to see Teslaquila become a household name will have to wait and see if Elon Musk's Tesla will take the CRT's recommendations.
