Things Go Better After Man Changes Name to Coke-Is-It

A man who changed his name to Coke-Is-It because his old one was frequently mispronounced has reached an agreement with the Coca-Cola Co., which holds a trademark on the advertising slogan, the company said today.

Frederick Koch, 54, of West Brattleboro, Vt., changed his name legally to Coke-Is-It in November, saying he was tired of hearing people pronounce his name as “Kotch” or “Cook.”

Coca-Cola filed an appeal in Windham (Vt.) County Court to block Koch’s name change but company spokesman Tom Gray said an agreement was reached Wednesday.

As part of the settlement, neither party can discuss the terms of the agreement.

But Coke-Is-It’s lawyer, John Burgess, said the agreement will allow his client to keep his name but “you can speculate there will be restrictions on commercial use.”