Beer drinkers, please join me in boycotting Dogfish Head

[fisharmor]

http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Beer-giant-orders-Altavista-business-to-change-name-or-face-legal-action-407493375.html

Dogfish Head brewery has twice threatened legal action against an old friend who is trying to make a second-career go of brewing mead.
Dogfish has a single seasonal brew called "Kvasir", which was Jerome Snyder's original name for his meadery. They did not even have a trademark on that name when Jerome did his search but basically beat him to the punch with filing.

After the first cease and desist, Jerome played ball and changed the name to "Vahseer", which is an alternate spelling. Kvasir/Vahseer is the being in Norse mythology who invented mead, so Dogfish's claim is synonymous to saying you can't name a beer "Hercules" because of the terrible Lou Ferigno movie nobody has ever seen.

Dogfish Head has done this before, with words like "Punkin" and "Namaste", both of which were used to interfere with other small businesses. If you have a problem with the way intellectual property law is applied in the US, or even if you think this is terrible business practice, please boycott Dogfish Head and tell them why you're doing it.

Jerome also has a gofundme set up to try to fight them in court.
https://www.gofundme.com/vahseer-meadery-fund

The "confusing" decals say it all:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15542134_10209942262530793_1848940355958124343_n.j pg?oh=9d651c3913abe03e4bc59b72db9c576e&oe=58E0BFCB

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15622082_10209942262570794_5016775582854377453_n.j pg?oh=fed0f3b7d697dcf93b637c81ef292d7e&oe=58E72869

[specsaregood]

Dogfish head's position seems reasonable to me. They seemed pretty supportive in their reply as well.

It says in the article that dogfish head started producing in 2013 and your friend in 2015...

[pcosmar]

Wait,,

Dogfish is an Ale.

Mead is Mead. not Ale.

They need a Lawyer that can read.

[oyarde]

http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Beer-giant-orders-Altavista-business-to-change-name-or-face-legal-action-407493375.html

Dogfish Head brewery has twice threatened legal action against an old friend who is trying to make a second-career go of brewing mead.
Dogfish has a single seasonal brew called "Kvasir", which was Jerome Snyder's original name for his meadery. They did not even have a trademark on that name when Jerome did his search but basically beat him to the punch with filing.

After the first cease and desist, Jerome played ball and changed the name to "Vahseer", which is an alternate spelling. Kvasir/Vahseer is the being in Norse mythology who invented mead, so Dogfish's claim is synonymous to saying you can't name a beer "Hercules" because of the terrible Lou Ferigno movie nobody has ever seen.

Dogfish Head has done this before, with words like "Punkin" and "Namaste", both of which were used to interfere with other small businesses. If you have a problem with the way intellectual property law is applied in the US, or even if you think this is terrible business practice, please boycott Dogfish Head and tell them why you're doing it.

Jerome also has a gofundme set up to try to fight them in court.
https://www.gofundme.com/vahseer-meadery-fund

The "confusing" decals say it all:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15542134_10209942262530793_1848940355958124343_n.j pg?oh=9d651c3913abe03e4bc59b72db9c576e&oe=58E0BFCB

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15622082_10209942262570794_5016775582854377453_n.j pg?oh=fed0f3b7d697dcf93b637c81ef292d7e&oe=58E72869

Birch syrup is ok for bug repellent .

[fisharmor]

Dogfish head's position seems reasonable to me. They seemed pretty supportive in their reply as well.

It says in the article that dogfish head started producing in 2013 and your friend in 2015...

It also says, in the article, that they did not hold a trademark when he did his search in 2015, and that they beat him to the punch with paperwork.
It also says that he changed the name the first go around.
Also this is not the first small brewery Dogfish Head is going after.

[specsaregood]

It also says, in the article, that they did not hold a trademark when he did his search in 2015, and that they beat him to the punch with paperwork.
It also says that he changed the name the first go around.
Also this is not the first small brewery Dogfish Head is going after.

yeah it sucks all around. but my understanding of trademark law (limited) is that you HAVE to aggressively pursue protecting your trademark or you will lose it.
And true, they didn't have the trademark yet, but who knows how long they had been planning on it and waiting on lawyers to finish the paperwork. They beat him to the punch, he should just cut his losses and come up with some other name.

[Valli6]

I thought mead was fermented honey?
Doesn't seem like it would work as ale - seems more akin to wine or brandy?

[Natural Citizen]

I pretty much reject the idea of intellectual property.

[RJB]

I thought mead was fermented honey?
Doesn't seem like it would work as ale - seems more akin to wine or brandy?

I brew my own Mead. It is more of a honey wine as for alcohol content. It definitely has it's own flavor.

[heavenlyboy34]

I pretty much reject the idea of intellectual property.


You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Natural Citizen again. Sorry, bro. That's +rep worthy.

[fisharmor]

he should just cut his losses and come up with some other name.

He did.