Trademark lawsuits are becoming more common as the United States becomes home to more than 3,000 breweries. One of the more recent ones was filed by Full Sail Brewing, which is located in Oregon, according to CNBC.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court and it names The Sessions Law Firm as a defendant. The firm is headquartered in Atlanta and specializes in DUI cases. The firm is being sued for trademark infringement.
Full Sail has been selling its beer using the trademark “Session” by “showing the word SESSION inside a distinctive shield logo, using a distinctive font, often with a red background and with a grey outline” since 2005, according to the complaint.
The brewery claims that the law firm has marketed itself to beer drinkers using the words “Sessions Law” in the same “distinctive shield logo, distinctive font, red background and grey outline” that the brewery uses for its logo.
The brewery claims in the lawsuit that by using a similar mark causes confusion among consumers and “creates a direct and malicious connection between FULL SAIL’s goods, namely beer, and DUI (Driving Under the Influence),” which threatens “the good will and reputation for quality that FULL SAIL has worked so hard to cultivate.”
Full Sail is asking for damages from the law firm and is asking for an injunction that prohibits the firm from using words such as “Session” or “Sessions” in a diamond shape logo or shield that is outlined with red or has a cursive font.