Thornhill Cos. said U.S. District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner entered a judgment against CustomVine Corp. and CEO Kevin Boyer for contributory trademark infringement against four Turn Key brands, and the parties reached a $315,000 settlement.
“They took our Santa Barbara Chardonnay with my brother’s only daughter’s name on it and put a California appellation on it,” said Norman Miller, Thornhill’s vp-sales and marketing. This was just one of the wines that CustomVine, a custom-wine producer and brand developer, sold under Turn Key-owned labels. “It was such a callous disrespect for other people’s marks. We had federally registered that name [Eleanora Marie].”
Thornhill is a family business. Their father, CEO Stephen Miller, runs the company, which manages three vineyards, including the esteemed Bien Nacido in the Santa Maria Valley, as well as custom-crush wine facilities and estate wine labels, among other concerns.
Miller said Thornhill originally hired Boyer in 2013 as an executive consultant and on-premise manager.