There is some heated debate currently on the RealBeer.co.nz Forums regarding the trademarking of the beer style ‘Radler’ by Heineken/DB/Monteith’s in New Zealand.
Should a company be allow to trademark a beer style?
Should you be allowed to trademark beer styles? i.e. Radler?
( online surveys)
I own a small craft brewery in the UK and have a beer called Radler which i make as a seasonal beer for the summer. Am i to assume that Heineken will pursue me in the British courts now? I would fight them all the way. My beer recipe and point of sale was formulated and designed two years ago. How can anyone possibley trademark a style of somthing as a product name. That is like trademarking the word ‘Butter’. Around the world brewers brew ESB (extra special bitter) but here in the UK we cannot call a beer ESB because Fullers own the copywrite! The big boys have nothing better to do than stomp on the smaller guys. Shame on you Montieths – your Scotish founder will be turning in his grave!
Not that I agree with it, but at least Fullers came up with the name ESB(even though it is now a style in its own right). You can see how they have something proprietary there.
Monteiths acknowledge on their own website that they have based their beverage on a style developed in the Bavaria in the 1920s.
A disgrace!