A craft brewer has been awarded a $56 million judgment against Molson Coors in a trademark infringement case that centered on the use of the word “Stone” in marketing.
The dispute centered over Molson Coors rebranding its Keystone brand of beer as “Stone.” That drew objections and an eventual federal lawsuit from Stone Brewing, a San Diego-based company that claims to be the ninth-largest craft brewery in the U.S.
Stone Brewing alleged that consumers would confuse the Molson Coors product with its own flagship line of beers, which are prominently labeled “Stone.” It filed suit in 2018, and on March 25, a federal jury awarded Stone $56 million in damages.
“This underdog win is a victory for every craft brewery that prides itself in independence, valuing quality over all else,” Stone said in a press release quoted by WRIC-TV.
