“King of Beers” Takes Aim at “The Queen of Beer” in Trademark Tousle
Los Angeles – The world’s largest beer brewer, Anheuser-Busch, is gearing up for battle against a much smaller brewery over its slogan which deems itself the “The Queen of Beer.” The Budweiser manufacturer has long touted its best-selling product as the “King of Beers” and currently holds trademark registrations for the phrase from everything from the obvious beers to clothing, neon signs and sauces and marinades.
Records on file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) show that the St. Louis based beer giant has been using the “King of Beers” slogan since the early 1950’s. It comes as little surprise, therefore that it did not take kindly to SHE Beverage Company, a much smaller brewer out of Southern California recently seeking trademark protection of “The Queen of Beer.”
The Lancaster, California headquartered company filed its application in December of 2014 in relation to beer. Shortly after its publication in May, Anheuser-Busch filed an action to oppose the further progress of the trademark, claiming that customers are likely to be confused into thinking that the two brands are linked due to the similar catchphrases.
According to its website, SHE Beverage Company makes beverage products that are “designed to meet the nutrition needs of the female audience.” It specifically references its SHE Beer as “the first and only beer created with women in mind” and touts that its “exclusive recipes are complex and designed to meet the discriminating taste of the female consumer.”
While a spokesperson for SHE has been quick to point out that the two companies seek different target audiences, in its filing with the Trademark Trials and Appeals Board (TTAB), Anheuser-Busch claims that the two trademarks are almost identical, but for the replacement of the word King with Queen. Given the close connotation between the two words, they argue that use of both slogans in relation to beers would be confusing to the public. The opposition proceedings have just begun, but According to SHE’s co-owner, Lupe Rose, SHE has no plans to give in.
