It’s no shocker that the craft brew industry has been flooded with an abundance of new beers over the past few years. But apparently some brewers are having trouble finding an original name, and that struggle is leading to a slew of legal battles, reports NPR’s The Salt.
A selection of craft beer in an Indiana beverage store.
Photo from AP
The brewers association estimated that the U.S. has over 3,000 breweries across the country—that’s 60 breweries per state, if divided evenly. So who has the right to be Alabama Ale or Mississippi Milk Stout?
“There are only so many words and names that make sense with beer, so it’s not surprising that many people will come up with the same ideas,” Candace Moon, a San Diego based lawyer who specializes in helping brewers trademark names and settle legal disputes, told The Salt. She believes that none of the brewers are purposefully infringing on trademarks, but with an over saturated American beer market it “happens all the time.”
Read the full article at: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/01/07/too-many-craft-breweries-not-enough-names-legal-battles-ensue/