Weyerbacher – No Plans To Sue Verboten Brewing
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MyBeer Buzz
When I first saw labels approved for Verboten Brewing in Loveland, TX, I’m sad to say I immediately wondered if Weyerbacher would sue. Keep in mind Weyerbacher actually had to change their beer Zotten to Verboten to avoid legal issues in March 2010. Now we have details that Weyerbacher, who owns the Verboten trademark, will not pursue litigation against Verboten brewing…..this from Westword:
Weyerbacher Brewing, an Easton, Pennsylvania company, owns the nationwide rights to the name because it trademarked the name of its Belgian-style pale ale, Verboten. But unlike some other recent trademark battles in the craft-brewing industry — most notably those involving Denver’s Strange Brewing — this tale has a happier ending.
"We found out about it right around the Great American Beer Festival…so, we met with two lawyers who said we’d have to change our name," says Angeline Grenz, who owns the brewery along with her husband, Josh, and another couple, Joe and Keri Akers. "We love the name, but we were really sweating because of the whole Strange thing."
So, Grenz e-mailed Dan Weirback, who founded Weyerbacher in 1995, to explain the situation. "He sent us back a really nice e-mail and said he wasn’t into litigation. He was very generous, and he said that that was the way the industry should be."
Although Verboten’s owners are still awaiting the final paperwork, Grenz says they worked out a legal agreement with Weyerbach that allows Verboten to use its name and logo in Colorado as long as they don’t actually brew a beer called "Verboten."
Here’s an update on Verboten’s opening from the Denver Post and a peek at one of their keg labels:
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