Pedro Pascal Sues Chilean Pisco Brand Over 'Pedro Piscal' Name
Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal is embroiled in a legal dispute with a local pisco merchant who has cheekily named his brand 'Pedro Piscal'. The case highlights a trend in Chile of entrepreneurs using puns on Hollywood names, often leading to courtroom clashes.
The Origins of the Dispute
David Herrera, a 41-year-old entrepreneur, registered the brand name 'Pedro Piscal' with Chilean commercial regulators in 2023. He began selling his pisco, Chile's national spirit, in off-licences and restaurants across the country. Herrera explained that the name emerged from brainstorming sessions and stuck due to its playful nature. 'We tried a few names and Pedro Piscal stuck,' he said. 'Then we were planning a trip up to the Pisco region when suddenly we were getting strongly worded emails from lawyers. Me, a mere mortal, getting emails from a superstar actor? It scared me a bit.'
Pedro Pascal, who remains a popular figure in his homeland, did not attend a court hearing but filed legal papers to take control of the brand name. His legal team argues that the similarity between 'Pedro Piscal' and his own name infringes on his intellectual property rights and brand identity.
A Pattern of Playful Puns in Chile
This is not the first time a Chilean business has faced legal action from a Hollywood A-lister over a witty name. In previous cases:
- Miel Gibson: A honey business using a still from Braveheart on its label successfully defended its name against actor Mel Gibson's lawsuit.
- Superpan: A bakery in Santiago called Superpan, which had operated for three decades using images of Clark Kent and the Superman 'S' symbol, won a case against DC Comics in 2020.
- Star Wash: Matías Jara runs a car wash service in Santiago that borrows heavily from the Star Wars franchise, including its famous font. The business won an initial legal battle with Lucasfilm but awaits a final ruling on the name.
Matías Jara commented on this cultural tendency: 'Chileans are mischievous, that's the thing. We are always messing around and joking. We change the lyrics to songs in English to Chileanise them, and we love wordplay – I adore Star Wars and just wanted to stand out with my brand.' Star Wash has become a popular meetup spot for cosplayers, with monthly events featuring Chewbacca and Stormtroopers during car cleanings.
Legal Arguments and Outcomes
Herrera defends his brand, stating that it does not use Pedro Pascal's likeness or image. 'We don't use his face or his likeness anywhere. We're just selling a good product,' he said. He explained the name's inspiration: it comes from the pedro ximénez grape variety used in pisco distillation, and 'piscal' is a colloquial term for piscola, a mix of pisco and Coca-Cola.
However, Pedro Pascal's legal team remains optimistic. Juan Pablo Silva, managing partner at the firm representing Pascal, highlighted preliminary successes, including the transfer of two online domains from Herrera to Pascal and the actor's successful trademarking of his name. Silva noted that a decision on the case could arrive before the end of the year, though he declined to comment further due to the ongoing nature of the proceedings.
Herrera, reflecting on the situation, said: 'I don't regret it for a moment.' The outcome of this case will set a precedent for how intellectual property is handled in Chile's vibrant and playful entrepreneurial landscape.
