Several media outlets including The Globe & Mail and Marketing Magazine are reporting that Molson Coors Canada has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Labatt Breweries over the newest campaign for their regional Kokanee brand.
The suit claims that the mountain imagery being used in the Kokanee logo too closely resembles the mountain logo that has long been used to market the Coors Light brand. It’s reported that Molson Coors is demanding that Labatt stop using the logo immediately, and is requesting damages of $10 million.
For their part, AB-InBev owned Labatt is denying any wrongdoing, with Jamie Humphries, director of local premium brands at Labatt, suggesting that this is a case of Molson Coors trying to bully a smaller regional brand.
Ironically, Labatt currently has a similar lawsuit pending against the smaller Brick Brewery, claiming that Brick’s Red Baron Lime infringes the trademark’s of their own Bud Light Lime, although the terms of that suit have apparently been scaled back, leading to speculation that it may be dropped altogether.
(Photo: The Globe & Mail)