Save Tequila Transparency. Help Us Fight Back

If you care about transparency, free speech, and traditionally-produced tequila, please help support us to defend against what we believe is a frivolous lawsuit meant to harass us and shut us down. The CRT, the monopoly regulator for tequila labeling, has sued the AFA and S2F Online Inc. (the corporation that runs Tequila Matchmaker) in U.S. federal court claiming trademark infringement over our additive-free program. CRT brought their suit despite the fact that we shuttered the program for tequilas last year after the CRT threatened participating brands. Even though their trademark for the word "Tequila" only applies to the labeling of bottles and packaging, they are claiming authority over how brands market their products in the U.S. We believe this is a brazen overreach of their authority, which is limited to ensuring the authenticity of the product.

We are seeking $30,000 to help us in the first few steps of our defense. These funds will go towards a retainer for legal counsel to prepare our initial responses to the suit. If we are unsuccessful in our fight, the potential consequences are dire: the shutdown of Tequila Matchmaker, the continued censorship of small brands, leaving consumers in the dark about the true contents of Tequila products, and chilling free and open discourse about tequila.

Your financial support will be critical to our success, and we hope you can respond generously to our funding campaign.