Amicable Arrangement ends Action and Benefits Trails
This is quite possibly the classiest resolution to any trademark action ever filed… ever! Hats off to both breweries for coming to an agreement and devising an amazing arrangement that benefits two world class hiking routes – the Long Trail & the Superior Hiking Trail. We’ll drink to that!
From Bent Paddle:
DULUTH, MINN. – DECEMBER 11, 2014 – Long Trail Brewing (Bridgewater Corners, Vermont) –and Bent Paddle Brewing Co. (Duluth, Minnesota) are pleased to announce to their collective beer fans that the disagreement over trademark use raised in late August has been amicably resolved.
Bent Paddle introduced a hiker logo on its recent series of seasonal brand offerings that closely resembled the “Hiker” logo that is a federally registered trademark of the Long Trail Brewing Co. When legal action was filed to protect Long Trail’s trademark, Bent Paddle immediately took steps to remove the “Hiker” logo from any more beer releases.
Jed Nelson, Director of Marketing at Long Trail indicated that with the explosion of craft brewers nationally, these types of issues have come up before and are likely to continue in the near term. “Bent Paddle contacted us right away when we brought the ‘Hiker’ logo registration to their attention. They were as eager as we were to resolve the situation as fellow craft brewers” said Nelson.
As a way to punctuate the amicable ending, Bent Paddle is making a donation to the Green Mountain Club, care takers of the Long Trail hiking route, and Long Trail is making a donation to the Superior Hiking Trail Association in Minnesota.
“We thank the Long Trail Brewing Co. leadership for being amenable to work with on this dispute” said Laura Mullen, Bent Paddle Co-Founder and VP of Outreach & Events. “We all learned a lot from this process and truly hope that this type of brewery to brewery communication sets an example in future disputes across our industry. We also hope to all enjoy a beer together in the future!”
For more information contact Laura Mullen, 218-279-2722 ext. 303, laura@bentpaddlebrewing.com
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Awesome of both breweries, better yet would be a collaboration brew.