Vending

Hansen heirs win $17 M in Coke and Monster Beverage case

Image courtesy of iStock

June 26, 2020

A San Diego court has awarded the children and grandchildren of the late Hubert Hansen, who founded Hansen's beverages, $9.6 million in damages and another $7.4 million in legal fees and costs in a "right to publicity" suit against Coca-Cola and the Monster Beverage Corp., according to a Los Angeles Magazine report.

The $17 million award is based on a share of profits from the sale of beverages under the Hansen's brand, one of the largest awards in a right of publicity case. The family sued the companies under California's Celebrities Rights Act, which prohibits unauthorized uses of someone's name for commercial purposes.

Neville Johnson, an attorney for the family, said on Facebook that Coca Cola and Monster Beverage did not have the family's permission to use Hansen's name and life story in creating Hansen's Lemonade.