Time to boycott Budweiser Bully Boys

I am going to boycott Budweiser and Stella untill they back down over these bullying tactics.

OK, so I never drink either of them anyway, can't stand either of them, but it's the principle that counts.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338129/Giant-US-firm-makes-Budweiser-crushes-tiny-UK-brewers--naming-beer-childrens-primary-school.html

A warning letter, drafted by British lawyers hired by the Missouri-based company to protect its UK commercial interests, says: ‘Visually and aurally, Belle-Vue and Belleville share the first six letters in common and end with the same letter “e”.

 

‘Conceptually, both Belle-Vue and Belleville would be understood by the English-speaking consumer as signifying something beautiful.

 

‘As a result of this considerable degree of similarity .  .  . your use [of the name] is bound to lead to deception and confusion among the public and our clients’ consumers and potential customers.

 

‘Such use also enables you to take unfair advantage of, or free ride on, our clients’ reputation in the EU.’ The letter, from Bristol law firm Humphreys & Co, demands the destruction of all packaging and promotional material bearing the microbrewery’s name and the removal of any references to Belleville on the company’s website within 28 days.

 

Although to be fair I can see how people could confuse the two. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I've been boycotting Stella for years and I won't start buying it again until it stops tasting of ****.

Budweiser is terrible beer. I don't know why anyone in their right mind would drink it.

They have previous for this as well - Budvar has to be labelled as Czechvar in the US.

Belle Vue is Belgian isn't it? So what does it have to do with a UK lawyer, should they be hiring a Belgian one and doing this in Belgium?

Belle Vue is Belgian isn't it? So what does it have to do with a UK lawyer, should they be hiring a Belgian one and doing this in Belgium?

Never see anyone drinking Budweiser these days, they must really be struggling with UK sales.

^^^ Ah ok fair enough, thanks. I've only ever seen Belle Vue in Belgium, didn't even know you could get it in the uk (but then again I don't get out much). That Belle Vue Kriek cherry drink tastes awful anyway

I've been boycotting Stella for years and I won't start buying it again until it stops tasting of ****.

This.

As it is, I wonder why Bud are taking on Bellville rather than the Bellevue Brewing Company (Washington, USA). I seem to recall they also took on Budweiser Budvar and lost, so hope it happens here as well.

I boycott all lagers anyway

I boycott all lagers anyway

Big Bad Bob Boycotts Budweiser Bully Boys

Big Bad Bob Boycotts Budweiser Bully Boys

Alliterally

Bagsy I copyright all words beginning with F.

Right, who's first? Ferrari I think.

I will settle out of Court.

With a straight face, this is just another case of Universities producing far too many lawyers for the amount of available litigation.

Yank craft beers are pretty good if you can get them, the big ones are weak **** and a disgrace to alcohol.

This.

 

 

As it is, I wonder why Bud are taking on Bellville rather than the Bellevue Brewing Company (Washington, USA). I seem to recall they also took on Budweiser Budvar and lost, so hope it happens here as well.

They would have probably lost that anyway. Bellevue being a (rather weird) place, next to Seattle, home of many many large US companies!!

If you ever go; http://taphousegrill.com/ and http://www.lotno3.com/ are both good

Dear Mr Lawyer,

I have taken legal advice and I suggest you are a bit of a c*nt, representing a load of American c*nts. I suggest you have a Coke, a smile, and shut the f*ck up.

Alternatively, in keeping with you and your paymasters, rename your brand 'Bellend'.

Love

Mr Belleville.

Maybe Manchester should sue Budweiser ? Bellevue is part of Gorton.

Yank craft beers are pretty good if you can get them, the big ones are weak **** and a disgrace to alcohol.

I loathe the big three ****y beer companies. Other than tasting ****, their attempts to monopolise distribution and placement is filthy.

Barry - other than Sierra Nevada, what other US craft brews have you come across over there?

‘Such use also enables you to take unfair advantage of, or free ride on, our clients’ reputation in the EU.

What reputation? Unless they mean their reputation for producing a really crap watered down product. If any reputations have been harmed by association of a similar sounding name, it is the reputation of the real Budweiser in the Czech Republic. Any serious beer drinker in Europe wouldn't touch the Yank product for fear of them becoming a laughing stock among their peers. I haven't tried either of the two products that are the subject of this thread, but I don't need to, to know instinctively that the British product will be the far better product and that if it gains in popularity through being given a helping hand from the publicity that Yank Budweiser is giving it, if anything, Budweiser will be the beneficiary of an increase of reputation because of the similarities of the names.

What reputation? Unless they mean their reputation for producing a really crap watered down product. If any reputations have been harmed by association of a similar sounding name, it is the reputation of the real Budweiser in the Czech Republic.

Ironically Anheuser Busch have done to Kriek with Belle Vue what they did to Budvar with Budweiser - produce a nasty poor quality version. Belle Vue is sweet and nothing like good Kriek.

Dear Budweiser

Thankyou for bringing the competing Belleville brand, manufactured by a tiny english micro-brewery to my attention. I have now ordered some after it's profile was raised thanks to you suing them.

I look forward to the refreshing domestically brewed beer arriving.

Regards.

Apart from any other considerations, the lawyers much be on weak ground anyway, attempting to argue that there might be confusion caused by the same letters being used with the belle and the e on the end of each name. As the belle is derived from the French for beautiful, they can't surely claim proprietorial ownership of it, any more than two rival breweries in the same city could claim a proprietorial exclusivity for including the city name in the name of their product. For example, could the makers of "London Pride" sue another brewery based in London for calling one of their beers "London Centenary Ale", "London Olympic Brew" or something similar?

I suspect that the British Law firm must be taking this case on the basis of a nice fat retainer rather than on the Yank basis of no win, no fee. That and the other good reason; that the stupidity of the case will bring much publicity for them through the media coverage.

Do Budweiser honesty believe they have a better reputation in the EU!?!?!

What a weird world it is

American beer is tasteless IMO. I don't drink Stella or Bud.

In our hotel room in Mexico, our mini fridge had Sol and Tecate, which is a light beer. (It's a very American dominated Mexican resort.)Sol was fine but the light beer was tasteless and horrible. Thankfully it was free and replenished every day so I did OK with the Sol.