From Mlive:
In April, the Grand Rapids brewery sent a cease and desist letter to Tired Hands Brewing Co.of Ardmore, Pa., demanding the small brewpub stop using the name “Farmhands” for one of its Belgian saison-style ales.
But on the other side of the coin, Tired Hands owner Jean Broillet expressed frustration at the prospect of changing the name of a beer that’s become popular among pub patrons.
“Every day my industry is becoming more and more like the tech industry,” said Broillet, whose new suburban Philadelphia brewpub also specializes in Belgian and French-style ales.
“It’s a sad (expletive) state of affairs.”
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It doesn't matter what industry you're in. At the end of the day, all that you have is your intellectual property. People shouldn't be blasted for defending it. That is a "sad (expletive) state of affairs."
ReplyDeleteI guess for some it's not THAT they defend their intellectual property but more about HOW they do it.
ReplyDeleteCalling a Saison "Farmhand" or "Farmhands" is not very intellectual. It's a good name, but far from original let alone "intellectual property". Besides, it's not like they're anywhere near each other. It is a sad state of affairs for the craft brew community, which is normally much closer knit than this MI example of douchebaggery.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, WHY would Tired Hands WANT to have the same beer name as another brewery? It would hurt both breweries.
ReplyDelete