Hoppy Lawyers have had a chance to digest news of the proposed AB InBev purchase of SABMiller, but the impact on craft beer is still unpredictable. In fact, craft brewers themselves do not necessarily agree on what a future with a larger AB InBev will look like. Some craft brewers believe the proposed merger will […]
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A: When federal law says so. With more craft breweries turning to cans instead of bottles as the vehicle to bring their products to the public, the recent rise in demand for a larger, growler-sized can, or Crowler, is unsurprising. Most notably, Oskar Blues Brewery, has found a strong following for their 32 ounce Crowlers […]
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Every now and then, even hoppy lawyers need vacations. Last week, I took one that included a few days in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Why Slovenia? Because they have dragons, and mountains, and, to my delight, some pretty great craft breweries. Slovenia must have known I was coming, because the day I arrived just happened to coincide […]
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Minnesota’s omnibus liquor bill passed in the Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee. What’s in the bill, you ask? Not a repeal of the ban on Sunday sales (that’s in a separate bill). There are some other significant provisions in the bill and we describe them in more detail in the legal post below. The bill […]
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It seems like every day we come across some new absurd trademark dispute. Today, Red Bull, the energy drink maker, has opposed a small Virginia brewery’s right to trademark the name Old Ox Brewery. Why? As Red Bull argues, an ox is really just a castrated bull, so the two marks are similar (I’ll leave […]
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What happens when a brewery claims to own the trademark rights to a particular design for the phrase “IPA”? Continue reading and find out. On January 12, Lagunitas Brewing Company filed a lawsuit against Sierra Nevada for trademark infringement. Trademark disputes in the industry are common, but this one has resulted in some particularly heated […]
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To begin the new year and its new session, Congress showed that it still knows how to reach across the aisle when it comes to something that really matters. We’re referring, of course, to beer. Representatives Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) and Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) reintroduced the Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act (Small BREW […]
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Leave it to breweries to find a way out of litigation that not only benefits both parties in the lawsuit, but also the communities in which they operate. A few months ago, we wrote about a trademark dispute between Long Trail Brewing and Bent Paddle Brewing Co. They have now resolved that dispute in a […]
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Registering your brewery with all the important state, local, and federal agencies can be a daunting task. Regrettably, there is little guidance out there to help you along the way. Nobody tells you which agencies you need to file with, and the agencies themselves certainly don’t seek you out until it’s far too late. If you […]
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Happy Halloween to all you beer-drinking goblins and ghouls- let’s celebrate with a beer review! Each year, when the leaves start to change colors, some people get excited about apple picking, colorful hikes, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin bread and pumpkin Oreos (yes they’re a thing). No offense to any of these fall specialties (jury’s still […]
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