Stone brewery sues MillerCoors’ Keystone over trademark infringement
Greg Koch is not a happy man these days. He has to sue the number two brewer in the US, MillerCoors, because it has shortened the name of its beer brand “Keystone” to “Stone” in its recent 2017 rebrand.
Mr Koch argues this is a deliberate move to cause confusion with Stone’s name in the market.
As is custom these days, if you want to get the word out, you post a video on YouTube. Which Mr Koch did on 12 February 2018. Within four days, over 100,000 people had watched the video.
Addressing MillerCoors directly, Mr Koch said: “Put the ‘Key’ back in Keystone. Stop using ‘Stone’ as a stand-alone word, because when it comes to a stand-alone word in the world of beer, it’s ours. We believe we are in the right, and so we are going to do what we feel we have to do. We appreciate your support.”
Mr Koch believes MillerCoors has made this move partly out of desperation. According to market research firm Nielsen, sales for the beer industry’s domestic premium category (where you will find Keystone) dipped four percent in 2017, equivalent to a USD 12.5 billion decline. Meanwhile, Stone Brewing remains one of craft beer’s strongest and most-recognized brands. Stone is the ninth largest craft brewer in the US.
MillerCoors’ Media Relations Manager Marty Maloney defended the rebrand in a statement. “Since Keystone’s debut in 1989, prior to the founding of Stone Brewing in 1996, our consumers have commonly used ‘Stone’ to refer to the Keystone brand and we will let the facts speak for themselves in the legal process.”
