Sardinian winemaker denies his two oxen brand is Purple Bull copy | Italy

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A small wine producer in Sardinia accused by the maker of the vitality drink Purple Bull of copying its brand has mentioned he feels as if he's in a David and Goliath battle towards the Austrian firm.

Mattia Muggittu, the proprietor of Muggittu di Mamoiada, had simply produced his first bottle of wine, which options two conventional Sardinian oxen tied collectively on its label, when he obtained a authorized discover from Purple Bull claiming the picture bore similarities to the one on its vitality drink depicting two bulls charging at one another inside a golden solar.

“It was a heavy blow,” he mentioned. “I’m solely 22 and was simply getting issues going and wanted constructive issues to occur, so this was very demoralising.”

The label features two traditional Sardinian oxen tied together
The label options two conventional Sardinian oxen tied collectively. Photograph: Mattia Muggittu

Muggittu final 12 months took over the operating of what was initially his grandfather’s five-hectare (12 acres) winery within the central Sardinian village of Mamoiada and mentioned the label for his debut bottle of wine – a cannonau constructed from the purple grape native to the Italian island – was “on no account a duplicate” of Purple Bull’s.

He referred to as the wine Boeli – after a big sacred stone relationship again to the late Neolithic interval that was found on the entrance of Mamoiada within the late Nineties – and labelled it with the 2 oxen, that are nonetheless used to plough older vineyards in Sardinia, tied collectively by a yoke. The emblem additionally represents the cup marks discovered on the sacred stone.

“I wished to replicate a practice of Sardinia, and particularly Mamoiada, the place for hundreds of years oxen have been used to plough vineyards – these animals are an emblem of agriculture right here,” he mentioned. “Purple Bull by no means even occurred to me.”

Muggittu was contacted by the Austrian firm with the alleged copyright infringement quickly after registering the model with the chamber of commerce. He has two months to achieve an settlement with the corporate. “If that fails then I might go to trial towards Purple Bull,” he mentioned. “It looks like David and Goliath.”

Purple Bull mentioned in a press release: “Following our customary firm coverage, we can not touch upon any pending authorized matter.”

A Red Bull logo seen on a shirt worn by a member of its Formula One racing team
A Purple Bull brand seen on a shirt worn by a member of its Formulation One racing crew. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Pictures

Muggittu has to this point produced 2,000 bottles of Boeli and solely sells it in Sardinia. That compares with the 11.5bn cans Purple Bull says it bought internationally in 2022, contributing to the Austrian firm’s €11.6bn (£10.25bn) turnover.

“I'm younger and am doing this for ardour,” he mentioned. “I can’t compete with Purple Bull and neither does it curiosity me.”

Muggittu’s plight has drawn solidarity from individuals throughout Sardinia and Austria, serving to to alleviate him from “a darkish interval” and inspiring him to not resign his enterprise targets.

“So many individuals are on my aspect, telling me that this can be a battle between Sardinia and a worldwide big,” he added. “I wish to develop the corporate and this received’t cease me.”


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