Can a succulent be claimed as a trademark?

Trademarking "Agave" is laughably ridiculous, not to mention, dangerous. Allowing it could set a precedent for other industries to trademark equally preposterous things. There is nothing about the word or entity "Agave" that is exclusive and/or unique to Mexican tequila.

I totally agree with other reader's sentiments; the "Tequileros" should be focusing their efforts and funds on improving their product, their marketing, and their market impact. Competition is competition.

As an interested-in-the-issue Mexican, I find it plainly ridiculous trying to monopolize the "agave" word -the "tequila" one is another issue as it describes the region where the drink comes from, as a descriptive seal-.
Good article, better to compete through quality and not with plainly non-sense.
By the way, hehe, yeap, the agave liquor just don't taste as well as a good distilled tequila, specially the ones of the special reserves of the main tequila producer houses, highly recommended, not mixed for a party, but as a stand alone drink after a good dinner.

Actually, that is false....we can get reserva here. $100 a bottle.

I find it somewhat ironic that FCH promotes the export of one poison, while waging war on marijuana.

They should trademark the process of making tequila instead of just fighting for a name, the same way scotch destilleries pattented the way scotch whisky is produced.

It's all Jimmy Buffett's fault.

I usually tend to agree that it is important not to mislabel foods and drinks like "extra virgin" olive oil, "scotch" whiskey, "cuban" cigars, but all tequila tastes like pure rubbing alcohol to me anyways.

Patented? Scotch whisky is made using a sour mash and a copper pot still in methods that have been known for thousands of years. Given the right equipment, I could run a similar operation off of the heat from my bedroom radiator.

Scotch doesn't have any of the problems of tequila because scotch whisky is very easily to pinpoint geographically and due to taste. Scotch is Scottish; there is no real way to claim that your whisky is scotch if it is not made in Scotland, whereas for Tequila the geographical restriction is not well known. I certainly didn't know about it.

More importantly, however, scotch has a unique taste that comes from the water used to make it, which flows over Scottish peat bogs. This taste and the variations in flavor from individual single malts makes scotch easily differentiable, unlike agave liquor and tequila.

Ultimately, the tequilierros should accept what is happening to their market and try to make their product a luxury premium. They need to move beyond the middle-price and into the high price arena, developing a taster's market or a market based on image, like the Patron brand has via enthusiastic rappers' endorsements.

You should go beyond Cuervo, man.

You poor man. What did the doctor say? Is there hope?

sad but true that americans drink more tequila than mexicans, but it is also true (and every mexican that has tried to order for a shot of tequila outside Mexico knows) that the best quality tequila is kept for mexican consumption.
Tequila-making houses like Jose Cuervo export their cheapest version of this spirit and keep their best productions for local sale such as "Reserva de la Familia". Why? Well-stablished firms know that only mexicans, and only a few foreigners, can really differentiate and appreciate the good tequila.
It would also be useful to know whether if the big and old tequila companies also support the motion of banning the word "agave" from a different use.

If you oppose the issue, please sign this petition by 7pm EST:

http://www.tequilainterchangeproject.com/stop-nom-186.html

US Goverment order to Calderon a war against drugs.

For me is ironic that USA is concerned about violence in Mexico and by other side still sell weapons to drug cartels. That is really ironic.

I agree, the outcome of this is a foregone conclusion if ever I saw one.

Barbarian gringo? Really?

Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, are the States or Mexico (United States or Mexico, official name), where the only places authorized to make "Tequila", the law mandate that any bottle must have a minimum 51% distilled from "Blue agave" grown of this States. Viva México Tequileros!!!! (tequila drinkers)
P.D. Tequila is the name of a town near of Guadalajara, and there are some destilleries: La Riojeña (Cuervo Tequila), Sauza, etc.

Unfortunately there is no hope. He said my palate is far too refined to be subjected to such a coarse liquor. Only single malt scotches for me ;)

In reality, maybe 1% of the population of the world cares whether or not its called Tequila, Champagne or Parma. We all buy whatever is available at the best price. Let these dumbass marketeers price themselves out of the market - no matter what names they play with. Currently a famous Swedish brand of Russian grog does it for me!!

Isn't the agave going extinct or something? I thought the area under cultivation with it, due to changing climate(, invasive species?), and shifting priorities among the growers.

Yes man. Barbarians all the way!