Tag: beer
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Texas Beer-Distribution Restriction Overturned
A Texas judge has reportedly voided a 2013 law prohibiting Texas craft-beer brewers from selling territorial rights to distribute their beers, finding the state had no compelling state interest in restricting the breweries. The statute was part of a package of other laws benefitting small breweries, but the distribution limitation was apparently inserted at the…
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Alabama Board to Consider Proposed Beer Purchasing Rule with Privacy Implications
The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) will reportedly vote on a proposed rule requiring brewers to collect personal information from purchasers of beer for off-premises consumption. The proposed rule, which requires gathering a customer’s name, address, age and phone number, follows a rule enacted June 1 allowing craft breweries to sell six-packs, large bottles…
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Bud Light “Caucus” Super Bowl Ad Not Lewd, Beer Institute Review Finds
Following a consumer complaint, the Beer Institute has reviewed Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC’s Super Bowl ad featuring comedians Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer discussing the “biggest caucus in the country” and determined the ad does not violate the industry group’s marketing standards. Under the standards, “advertising and marketing materials should not contain languages or images that…
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Boston Beer Co. Seeks to Trademark “Brexit”
One day after U.K. citizens voted to leave the European Union, Samuel Adams® brewer Boston Beer Co. filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to register “Brexit” for use on hard cider products. U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 87083390 (filed June 24, 2016). Two other applications for Brexit marks were filed the…
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TTAB Refuses to Register Mark for Beer Logo with Empire State Building
Siding with the owners of the Empire State Building, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has refused to register a logo for “NYC Beer” featuring a drawing of the building. ESRT Empire State Bldg. v. Liang, No. 91204122 (T.T.A.B., order entered June 17, 2016). Claiming ownership of a trademark in a line drawing featuring the…
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Proposed Legislation Would Modernize Alcoholic Beverage Laws in New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) has proposed legislation that would revise the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (Blue Laws) to modernize the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in New York state. The new rules would also consolidate licensing and reduce “burdensome fees for wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries statewide.” In particular, the legislation would (i) lift…
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Origin Lawsuit Against Red Stripe® Beer Dismissed
A California federal court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Diageo PLC misrepresents Red Stripe® beer as brewed in Jamaica, finding “no reasonable consumer would be misled into thinking that Red Stripe is made in Jamaica with Jamaican ingredients based on the wording of the packaging and labeling.” Dumas v. Diageo PLC, No. 15-1681 (S.D.…
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Sixth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Anheuser-Busch Alcohol Content MDL
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed an Ohio court’s dismissal of multidistrict litigation alleging Anheuser-Busch intentionally overstates the alcohol content on its malt beverages. In re Anheuser-Busch Beer Labeling Mktg. & Sales Prac. Litig., No. 14-3653 (6th Cir., order entered March 22, 2016). The lower court had dismissed the case…