Lagunitas Sues Sierra Nevada for Trademark Infringement
UPDATE: Lagunitas founder Tony Magee says company will drop lawsuit
Lagunitas Brewing Co. is suing Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., alleging that an upcoming beer from the Chico, CA-based brewery infringes on Lagunitas’ trademark for its top-selling IPA.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in a U.S. district court in California, claims that Sierra Nevada’s soon-to-be-released Hop Hunter IPA infringes on the Lagunitas IPA trademark by using “all capital, large, bold, black ‘IPA’ lettering in a font selection that is remarkably similar to the iconic Lagunitas design. This proposed design even uses the kerning between the ‘P’ and the ‘A’ characters that is distinctive to the Lagunitas Family of IPA Trademarks …” 
Lagunitas’ founder Tony Magee today on Twitter said he tried to resolve the matter privately with Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman.
This is just a course of action we did not want to take. I attempted to work it out privately w/ SNB but not successful. Deeply saddened…
— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) January 13, 2015
This morning, Sierra Nevada released the following statement on its website:
Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada is a pioneer of craft brewing and sets the standard for quality. Our brand narrative has always been about our passion, innovation and intrepid spirit.
We’ve been making IPAs since 1981. Hop Hunter IPA is the latest product in our portfolio, with the bright Sierra Nevada banner prominently displayed across the top of the design, and the beer style underneath—an IPA in this case—so that beer drinkers know exactly what beer they are reaching for. We have no interest in our products being confused with any other brand.
Debuting in 12-ounce bottles in early 2015, Hop Hunter IPA features oil from wet hops steam distilled directly in the field, minutes after harvest.
Related: The Great Beer Trademark Wars: Brewers Head to the Courts to Protect Their Brands
BS for sure, it better not impede my getting my hands on Hop Hunter (IPA), oops hooe I don’t get sued for that!
As much as I love Lagunitas IPA, I know a thing or two about fonts, and if it were up to me, I’d thow the case out.
Complete BS indeed. I really like both breweries, but I’m disappointed in Lagunitas for pulling such a BS. There are over 3,000 breweries and they are all brewing an IPA or five. Get over yourselves–you aren’t as brilliant as you think you and you trademarks are.
Shame on you Lagunitas! Afraid of a little competition? I personally don’t think they look the same to point of confusion or think they tried to copy you.
I call BS, the labels do not resemble each other and I have never been confused. Sounds like a publicity stunt!
Just strong arm stuff just like the big names do to to us. Its sad really.
Tony,
Stop wasting your time and money and make better beer!
IPA in block letters! Are you kidding me?!
By my palate, Torpedo IPA is better than Lagunitas IPA!
Focus on making the best beer you can!
Nothing else matters!
This makes me want to cease my support for Lagunitas and no longer purchase their beers. I was bothered when they first did this to Knee Deep and now they are doing it again and I don’t get it. I’m sure I’m not the only customer they are turning away by this ridiculous behavior. Make a great beer and people will buy it. Period. The letters IPA can only be done in so many ways.
Are you kidding me?!? Shame on you Lagunitas is right! Is no one else allowed to use ‘IPA’ on the side of a 6pack?? Completely different font! Please explain to all of us how “IPA” is supposed to look different by using other letters than “IPA”. Oh wait, you can’t! Pathetic and I think I’m banning your beer from now on too. Yeah, quick to drop the lawsuit before it makes national news…it was only going to make you look like damn friggin fools! Do you see how detailed SN bottles and box are? You should take a lesson from them because your labeling and packaging is BORING and BLAND.
The only resemblance I see is that the IPA lettering is both in black?
I grew up in the North Bay and drank SNB all the time. Not till i moved away did Lagunitas join the party. While i love Lagunitas marketing tactics and there beer is good. Why do you think you own IPA. You dont see SNB sueing people that use a green label on there pale ale or using the Chico strain of yeast. SNB has nothing to prove to the rest of the beer world. There flagship beer is the most copied pale ale out.
Lagunitas you just lost a bit of respect IMO.
Seriously, kerning and boldface do not a trademark make. If this was a serious lawsuit, somebody is seriously deluded, and if it was a publicity stunt methinks it backfired.
An amicus brief for the prosecution. If you have a trademark, the only way to keep it is to protect it–and that means going after other companies that may appear to infringe. (Use it or lose it.) It’s not Lagunitas’ fault this is the way the trademark laws are written.
In the future, these kinds of disputes will be super common (3,000 breweries making 20+ beers equals a lot of potential infringement). Casting the narrative as good versus evil is silly. It’s business, and the companies are trying to protect their trademarks.
(But I agree this one looks like a tweener!)
Bwahahahahahahaha! Thanks for the laugh Lagunitas!
Hey Tony after reading your book, several, times I am amazed and disappointed at your behavior to a fellow craft brewer. A craft brewer you lauded in you book. I guess you are really no a craft brewer any more. I get the feeling that the corporate hacks have taken control of your masterpiece. I think it might be best for you to sell out and go back to what you do best, make great beer and be soulful.