It’s an issue that a number of craft brewers have grappled with over the past year, and one that is often misunderstood: trademark ownership and infringement.
According to Craig Rashkis, an attorney with Farwell Rashkis, LLP, trademarks can be “a word, phrase, design, logo, or any combination thereof that distinguishes the source of a product or goods” from another source. In the beer industry, common trademarks include the name of the brewing company, the name of a beer and label artwork.