Craft Brewery Stands in Budweiser's Way of Trademarking "Brewed the Hard Way"

by Ryan Hudak on Jun 12, 2015 in Beer
Craft Brewery Stands in Budweiser's Way of Trademarking

Oh, Budweiser. First, you give us plenty of fodder with your ridiculous Super Bowl commercial, deliberately insulting the craft breweries you are buying up for yourself and trying to convince us that your beer is “brewed the hard way,” because all other brewers take the easy way out of brewing somehow. Then, you roll out the sometimes-rapey, always stupid “Up for Whatever” ad campaign thinking it will somehow appeal to millennials since they’re all idiots who fall for that kind of thing. And now, you’re revisiting the Super Bowl ad, but probably not in the way you had imagined.

Five days after the ad aired, Budweiser filed a trademark application for “Brewed the Hard Way,” probably so they could further try to insult the craft breweries that are handily taking Bud’s market share. The problem with the trademark application, though, is that small Martin City Brewing Company in Missouri filed a trademark for “Hard Way IPA” only FOUR days after the ad aired. Why Budweiser wouldn’t have begun the process before they announced something to the world, I don’t know, but now Martin City has the upper hand.

Especially since they filed an “actual use” trademark, which means they already had the phrase in use, and Budweiser filed an “intent to use” trademark, meaning they intend to use it sometime in the future. Unfortunately for Bud, actual use trumps intent to use as far as filing priority goes. As does date of filing. Whoops!

So now Budweiser is getting it from craft beer again since their trademark filing has been put on hold until a decision has been made on Martin City’s filing. There is a part of the process where people can challenge a trademark filing, so we’ll see if Budweiser comes out swinging or if they leave well-enough alone (spoiler alert: the boobs at Budweiser keep kicking themselves, so they’ll probably take on the little guy again). Keep watching, because it may get nasty.

Even nastier than a Bud Light Lime.

Photo via YouTube


Tags: Beer
Recent Articles
spacer

Feedback

How are we doing? Tell us what you like or don't like and how we can improve. We would love to hear your thoughts!

*Name:
*E-mail:
*Suggestions:
 
Behind the Bar: Liana Oster of Dante

Behind the Bar: Liana Oster of Dante

For this exciting installment of Behind the Bar, we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Liana Oster, the head bartender at Dante in New Yo...read more ›

by The Drink Nation Jan 7, 2020
Pabst Blue Ribbon Launches Blue Ribbon Whiskey in Select US Markets

Pabst Blue Ribbon Launches Blue Ribbon Whiskey in Select US Markets

PBR has launched their own whiskey. Let's keep an open mind and see what is inside this bottle....read more ›

by Carrie Dow Sep 24, 2019
The Master Sommelier Scandal is Now the Subject of a New Investigative Series

The Master Sommelier Scandal is Now the Subject of a New Investigative Series

There's a new investigative series about one of the biggest scandals to ever hit the wine world....read more ›

by The Drink Nation Sep 13, 2019
SPONSORED
Drink Nation Store Rectangle
Using Peas to Make Gin Might Lead to More Environmentally Friendly Spirits, Studies Show

Using Peas to Make Gin Might Lead to More Environmentally Friendly Spirits, Studies Show

Scientists may have discovered a more environmentally friendly way to make one of the world's most popular spi...read more ›

by The Drink Nation Jul 23, 2019
Drink a Classic Cocktail for a Good Cause During Negroni Week, June 24-30

Drink a Classic Cocktail for a Good Cause During Negroni Week, June 24-30

Negroni Week 2019 is June 24-30, so drink this classic cocktail for a good cause....read more ›

by The Drink Nation Jun 19, 2019
What to Do if Your Uber, Lyft, or Cab Driver Ever Strays From Your Destination or Makes You Feel in Danger

What to Do if Your Uber, Lyft, or Cab Driver Ever Strays From Your Destination or Makes You Feel in Danger

If you're taking an Uber, Lyft, or cab and feel unsafe, there are steps you can take to protect yourself....read more ›

by Nina Starner Jun 19, 2019
Behind the Bar: Kat Corbo of The Study & Winner of Speed Rack 2019

Behind the Bar: Kat Corbo of The Study & Winner of Speed Rack 2019

This time on Behind the Bar, we spoke to Kat Corbo of The Study, who recently won Speed Rack 2019....read more ›

by The Drink Nation May 15, 2019
Boston Beer & Dogfish Head Have Merged in a $300 Million Deal

Boston Beer & Dogfish Head Have Merged in a $300 Million Deal

In a huge move for the American craft beer community, Boston Beer and Dogfish Head have agreed to a merger valued at $300 million dollars. ...read more ›

by The Drink Nation May 10, 2019
A New, High-End Blend of Jack Daniel's Whiskey is Now Available in the United States

A New, High-End Blend of Jack Daniel's Whiskey is Now Available in the United States

A new, high-end blend of Jack Daniel's whiskey, known as Jack Daniel's No. 27 Gold, which was previously only ...read more ›

by The Drink Nation Apr 15, 2019
Coopers' Craft Bourbon Is Now Available in 12 States With a New Barrel Reserve Expression

Coopers' Craft Bourbon Is Now Available in 12 States With a New Barrel Reserve Expression

Coopers' Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon has debuted an entirely new label design, has expanded to more states...read more ›

by The Drink Nation Apr 3, 2019
SPONSORED
Drink Nation Home Bar Project Bottom Rectangle 2
View all Articles

Sign up to get weekly drinking news, bar reviews, events and more sent directly to your inbox!

Close