Tag: beer
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Court Says Texas Can Intervene in Lawsuit over “Alamo” Trademark
Adopting a magistrate judge’s recommendation, a Texas federal court has ruled that Texas can intervene in a lawsuit brought by brewer Alamo Beer Co. alleging that Old 300 Brewing infringed Alamo Beer’s trademark for using the silhouette of the Alamo building on its labels. Alamo Beer Co. LLC v. Old 300 Brewing LLC, No. 14-285 (W.D. Tex.,…
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ASA Nixes “Snake Venom” Beer Claims
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld two complaints against a website advertising Brewmeister Ltd.’s “Snake Venom” beer as “THE WORLD’S STRONGEST BEER.” In response to the first complaint, which disputed the beer’s stated alcohol by volume (ABV),the agency questioned whether the independent analysis that determined Snake Venom’s ABV differed from the process used…
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Beck’s False Advertising Case to Proceed
A Florida federal court has denied Anheuser-Busch’s motion to dismiss a case accusing the beverage company of misleading consumers into believing that Beck’s beer was still brewed in Germany, finding that the plaintiffs adequately pleaded their claims. Marty v. Anheuser-Busch Cos., No. 13-23656 (S.D. Fla., order entered September 5, 2014). In 2012, Anheuser-Busch moved production…
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FTC’s Four Loko Final Order Modified
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved a modified final order in proceedings against Phusion Projects, LLC, which markets the malt beverage Four Loko, to account for the Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB’s) denial of proposed changes to the company’s product labels. In re Phusion Projects, LLC, No. C-4382…
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UK Ad Watchdog Backs Teabag Claims
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has dismissed a competitor’s complaint alleging that Unilever UK Ltd.’s commercial for its pyramid-shaped teabags “exaggerated the capability and performance of the advertised product.” Tata Global Beverages reportedly argued that (i) the visual demonstration used in a TV commercial for PG Tips tea was misleading, (ii) Unilever’s claim that…
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Indiana Court Rejects Constitutional Challenge to Chilled Beer Sales Limit
An Indiana federal court has upheld a state statute that limits the sale of cold beer to package liquor stores, barring other beer sellers like convenience stores from selling beer cooler than room temperature. Ind. Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Ass’n v. Huskey, No. 13-784 (S.D. Ind., order entered June 16, 2014). Indiana law divides…
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Watered-Down Beer MDL Dismissed with Prejudice
A multidistrict litigation (MDL) court in Ohio has dismissed with prejudice six putative class actions involving plaintiffs from California, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas, alleging that Anheuser-Busch “routinely and intentionally adds extra water to its finished product to produce malt beverages that ‘consistently have significantly lower alcohol content than the percentages displayed…
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Ad Watchdog Reverses Decision on “French Beer” Brewed in UK
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority has reversed an earlier decision upholding two complaints alleging that Heineken UK Ltd.’s print and TV advertisements gave the impression that its Kronenbourg 1664 beer was brewed in France and made primarily from French hops, despite text disclaimers stating that the product was “Brewed in the UK.” According to ASA,…