Brewery sues DUI law firm, says look-alike 'Sessions Law' mark confuses 'Session Lager' customers
An Oregon craft brewery has sued a Georgia law firm for trademark infringement, contending that a look-alike “Sessions Law” mark is confusing to those familiar with its own “Session Lager.”
Filed last week in federal court in Portland, the suit (PDF) by Full Sail Brewing Company says the Atlanta-based Sessions Law has, for example, distributed brown paper beer-can covers imprinted with the same diamond-shaped mark. Within the diamond, the suit says, the firm uses almost the same words and virtually identical black cursive script above light all-caps lettering, creating a likelihood of confusion with the beer brand, Willamette Week reports.
The alleged association with a premium brew may have been beneficial to the firm, which specializes in the defense of driving-under-the-influence prosecutions. However, the Hood River brewery is not eager to see its brand linked to drunken-driving cases and paper bags used to conceal open containers of alcohol. It is seeking treble damages and attorney fees as well as injunctive relief.
“You certainly don’t want an association with reckless driving,” Full Sail CEO Irene Firmat told Brewbound.
A representative of the law firm declined to comment when contacted by the ABA Journal.
Attorney Charles DeVoe represents the brewery and told the weekly Sessions Law is no longer using the mark resembling that of Session Lager on its website.
Courthouse News also has a story.
