I know one beer that I won't be drinking, ever again -- Samuel Adams!
UPDATE, 6:10 p.m.: Here's an interesting post that suggests that the folks at the brewing company, and not Mark and Dave, are actually violating the law.
Comments (18)
I haven't been this proud of the lads since they came up with that car seats-for-dogs concept.
This is really disappointing, since Samuel Adams (the brewery) recently came out with a nice dark lager at a decent price. Now I have to boycott it, even though I'm not enthralled by the Sam Adams (the politician) machine.
Haven't been in a Starbucks since they went after that little coffee house in Astoria nor bought any Tillamook Cheese since they laid claim to the name of that coastal county and sued Tillamook Country Beef.
I would love to see a list of such inane trademark suits from regional and national corporations. Probably make me swear off almost everything.
Of course, the reality no doubt is simply that the company's lawyers send these out to anyone or anything that makes use of the name "Sam Adams" without bothering to ask and/or notice what it's for.
Domain name in particular are the sorts of things that IP lawyers just get regular notifications of registrations for. And the legal machinery just starts moving.
Next to no chance anyone outside the IP division of their legal team ever even heard of this. Although I imagine they've heard by now, or will shortly, and it will all be dropped.
I don't know if I'd go so far as Isaac (in your link), but I'd happily assert that whoever wrote the letter should be subject to sanction for making a frivolous legal claim. There are multiple viable defenses I can think of for Sam and I haven't even bothered to open the relevant statute.
Eek. No more Sam Adams the Beer for me.
Jack, thanks for the link. My theory is a little tongue-in-cheek (as Jud perhaps implies), but I do agree with Mike that Sam Adams the brewer loses this one to Sam Adams the candidate.
Grant it, while Samual Adams Brewery probably should have bought up all domain names associated with their product, I'm sure they never thought that anyone with that same name would have been dumb enough to use them, as Samual Adams beer is so popular, not only in America, but around the world. At the risk of bruising the would-be mayor's ego, when hearing the name "Samual (or Sam) Adams", people think of the award winning brew and their informational commercials, not some politician from the Pacific Northwest.
I have no intention of boycotting Samual Adams beer, as I've been a loyal customer of theirs for decades and will continue to do so.
Of course, and not surprisingly, using the time, effort and money fighting something so ridiculous and without a doubt, a losing cause, (and he will most assuredly lose), that same time, effort and money could be better spent on something, like, oh I don't know, coming up with solutions to reverse the skyrocketing $750 million dollar deficit that Oregon currently is under. You know, something IMPORTANT?
But as usual, this is just another glaring example of how the collective stupidity of the knee-jerk, liberal, Democrat Party is surpassed ONLY by their mind numbing intellectual dishonesty.
This kind of imbecilic thinking is exactly why I left not only The People's Republik of Portland, but the Motherland of Oregon as well.
I sent a letter to Samual Adams Brewing letting them know what certain people here in the People's Republik of Portland think about their claim, how a boycott is being called for, as well as to let them know that this needs to be fought extremely hard and would-be mayor Sam Adams' frivolous claim destroyed, just for for the principle, if nothing else.
Knowing full well that I am only one of millions of loyal customers, I'm sure that my letter won't be the battle cry of the brewery, but I would hope that they take notice of how disrespectful this is against a complany that has every right to their name, and acts accordingly.
When would-be mayor Sam Adams loses this case, I for one will be toasting his complete and utter destruction with icy cold glasses of several of their award winning brews, while you all drown your sorrows with a lukewarm cup of Henry Weinhard's, the swill that was once upon a time, a really great brew.
Thirteenburn, let me get this straight: it's okay for you to waste a good chunk of time writing paeans to your watery-beer-serving corporate overlords, but it's a travesty of earth-shaking proportions when a person named Sam Adams spends his time defending the use of his given name? Huh, okay.
I think the real reason you left Oregon was that you couldn't stand the taste of real beer.
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Comments (18)
I haven't been this proud of the lads since they came up with that car seats-for-dogs concept.
Posted by Bill McDonald | October 23, 2007 4:55 PM
It will be a disappointment if their employer caves in on this.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 23, 2007 6:00 PM
This is really disappointing, since Samuel Adams (the brewery) recently came out with a nice dark lager at a decent price. Now I have to boycott it, even though I'm not enthralled by the Sam Adams (the politician) machine.
Haven't been in a Starbucks since they went after that little coffee house in Astoria nor bought any Tillamook Cheese since they laid claim to the name of that coastal county and sued Tillamook Country Beef.
I would love to see a list of such inane trademark suits from regional and national corporations. Probably make me swear off almost everything.
Posted by Gil Johnson | October 23, 2007 8:29 PM
Now there's an idea for a website: ipjerks.com. ("IP" meaning intellectual property.)
Posted by Jack Bog | October 23, 2007 8:32 PM
Jack any chance of a digg button
no more sam for me
Posted by ron | October 23, 2007 8:47 PM
Of course, the reality no doubt is simply that the company's lawyers send these out to anyone or anything that makes use of the name "Sam Adams" without bothering to ask and/or notice what it's for.
Domain name in particular are the sorts of things that IP lawyers just get regular notifications of registrations for. And the legal machinery just starts moving.
Next to no chance anyone outside the IP division of their legal team ever even heard of this. Although I imagine they've heard by now, or will shortly, and it will all be dropped.
Posted by b!X | October 23, 2007 10:25 PM
That is not what I'm hearing. Sam Adams is apparently playing serious hardball.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 24, 2007 4:40 AM
I don't know if I'd go so far as Isaac (in your link), but I'd happily assert that whoever wrote the letter should be subject to sanction for making a frivolous legal claim. There are multiple viable defenses I can think of for Sam and I haven't even bothered to open the relevant statute.
Eek. No more Sam Adams the Beer for me.
Posted by Jud | October 24, 2007 8:07 AM
Did anyone in this town here Mark and Dave interview me on this subject yesterday?
The beer folks don't have a leg to stand on in this matter.
Yours truly,
Local trademark lawyer, adjunct prof at L&C Law School (where I teach a TM class), never met Jack B, etc.
Posted by mike | October 24, 2007 8:26 AM
Jack, thanks for the link. My theory is a little tongue-in-cheek (as Jud perhaps implies), but I do agree with Mike that Sam Adams the brewer loses this one to Sam Adams the candidate.
Posted by Isaac Laquedem | October 24, 2007 9:00 AM
Whoa, a lawyer with a bad typo problem. I meant to ask, did anyone in this town "hear" me . . . not "here" me
That's a bad one.
Also on second thought, I should have said that the Sam Adams beer folks don't have a "keg" to stand on (not a "leg")!
Posted by mike | October 24, 2007 9:44 AM
Actually, maybe it's time to consider electing a bottle of beer for mayor -- less taxing, more relaxing.
If nominatied, it would not be open.
If elected, it would not be drunk.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | October 24, 2007 11:20 PM
'-tied' in typos, I s'pose. Mercury's retrograde.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | October 24, 2007 11:22 PM
Grant it, while Samual Adams Brewery probably should have bought up all domain names associated with their product, I'm sure they never thought that anyone with that same name would have been dumb enough to use them, as Samual Adams beer is so popular, not only in America, but around the world. At the risk of bruising the would-be mayor's ego, when hearing the name "Samual (or Sam) Adams", people think of the award winning brew and their informational commercials, not some politician from the Pacific Northwest.
I have no intention of boycotting Samual Adams beer, as I've been a loyal customer of theirs for decades and will continue to do so.
Of course, and not surprisingly, using the time, effort and money fighting something so ridiculous and without a doubt, a losing cause, (and he will most assuredly lose), that same time, effort and money could be better spent on something, like, oh I don't know, coming up with solutions to reverse the skyrocketing $750 million dollar deficit that Oregon currently is under. You know, something IMPORTANT?
But as usual, this is just another glaring example of how the collective stupidity of the knee-jerk, liberal, Democrat Party is surpassed ONLY by their mind numbing intellectual dishonesty.
This kind of imbecilic thinking is exactly why I left not only The People's Republik of Portland, but the Motherland of Oregon as well.
Posted by Thirteenburn | October 25, 2007 12:39 AM
Oh, I almost forgot.
I sent a letter to Samual Adams Brewing letting them know what certain people here in the People's Republik of Portland think about their claim, how a boycott is being called for, as well as to let them know that this needs to be fought extremely hard and would-be mayor Sam Adams' frivolous claim destroyed, just for for the principle, if nothing else.
Knowing full well that I am only one of millions of loyal customers, I'm sure that my letter won't be the battle cry of the brewery, but I would hope that they take notice of how disrespectful this is against a complany that has every right to their name, and acts accordingly.
When would-be mayor Sam Adams loses this case, I for one will be toasting his complete and utter destruction with icy cold glasses of several of their award winning brews, while you all drown your sorrows with a lukewarm cup of Henry Weinhard's, the swill that was once upon a time, a really great brew.
Cheers!!
Posted by Thirteenburn | October 25, 2007 1:04 AM
And I appologise for the typo of Samuel Adams.
It's late and I'm tired and should be doing something far more constructive such as sleeping, instead of posting my comments here.
My appologies...
Posted by Thirteenburn | October 25, 2007 1:07 AM
Thirteenburn, let me get this straight: it's okay for you to waste a good chunk of time writing paeans to your watery-beer-serving corporate overlords, but it's a travesty of earth-shaking proportions when a person named Sam Adams spends his time defending the use of his given name? Huh, okay.
I think the real reason you left Oregon was that you couldn't stand the taste of real beer.
Posted by tODD | October 25, 2007 10:40 AM
-
'Turdteenburp' is LIARS Larson in disguise.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | October 26, 2007 1:05 PM