SAm Adams goes after .. Sam Adams

[DNQuest.com]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071025/...idate_vs__beer

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Boston brewers of Sam Adams beer objected when they learned that a mayoral campaign here included Web sites invoking the name of their product.

What they didn't realize is that Sam Adams is also the name of the candidate — and has been since before the beer hit the market.

The Portland Sam Adams, a mild-mannered bicycle rider, is a far cry from the Boston Sam Adams, a patriot, brewer, rabble-rouser and business flop of Revolutionary War times. The second cousin to former president John Adams inherited the brewery, and it failed several years later.

When Mayor Tom Potter said he wouldn't seek re-election last month, City Commissioner Sam Adams jumped into the nonpartisan race. So far he's the only candidate.

Enterprising KEX radio hosts Mark Mason and Dave Anderson registered the Web addresses http://www.samadamsformayor.com and http://www.mayorsamadams.com, promising to give them to Adams if he discussed his political future on their show. Adams did.

The letter from Boston Beer Co. came to Anderson last week.

"Boston Beer has used the trademarks SAM ADAMS and SAMUEL ADAMS since 1984," said the letter, which asked Anderson to surrender the Web sites.

The radio hosts have responded by broadcasting the sound of a listener pouring Sam Adams beer in the toilet.

Portland's Sam Adams is both amused and concerned. His campaign staff consulted lawyers Tuesday.

The slogan "Sam Adams for Portland Mayor" is already on his Web site (http://www.samforpdx.com) and soon may grace yard signs and bumper stickers for the 2008 election.

"They say they've been using this trademark since 1984," Adams said. "I've been using it since 1963."

Boston Beer's Helen Bornemann said she didn't know there was a real Sam Adams running for mayor when she sent the letter.

The brewery has previously run "Sam Adams for President" marketing campaigns, albeit 200 years late. She said she feared someone was copying the advertisements.

Bornemann said she's willing to discuss Adams' use of his name on his Web sites "probably for the length of the time the election is being held."


My Note: I would tell the Beer company to pound salt and there is nothing to talk about.

[Acro]

Good thing the dispute is not over someone named "Mike Hunt"

[ciperl]

With the "prior use" tag... I think this mayoral candidate should go after the trademark office to nullify the trademark given to Sam Adams beer. Since the name Sam Adams was clearly "in use" long before 1984.

[Focus]

Bornemann said she's willing to discuss Adams' use of his name on his Web sites "probably for the length of the time the election is being held."

What an arrogant and disrespectful little b*tch, too bad she has no authority over HIS domain names or birth right to use his own name for whatever the hell he wants. I would most likely ask her to discuss my trouser snake in her mouth!

[BELLC1]

The real shame here goes to anyone who would actually contact lawyers and tell them to work it out. This is frivolous by anyone's standard.

[randomo]

Boston Beer's Helen Bornemann said she didn't know there was a real Sam Adams running for mayor when she sent the letter.

Glad we do our research before firing off threats!

[DNQuest.com]

What an arrogant and disrespectful little b*tch, too bad she has no authority over HIS domain names or birth right to use his own name for whatever the hell he wants. I would most likely ask her to discuss my trouser snake in her mouth!

had to laugh at this... and I agree with it

[intellect]

What an arrogant and disrespectful little b*tch, too bad she has no authority over HIS domain names or birth right to use his own name for whatever the hell he wants. I would most likely ask her to discuss my trouser snake in her mouth!

lol, Thats an interesting way to put it, but i agree with it all. These lawyers should actually practice LAW, not send out blind threats.

[jberryhill]

Good thing the dispute is not over someone named "Mike Hunt"

Ah... you need to read the dickmasters.com UDRP.

Some guy named Dick Masters couldn't fathom why there was a porn site there.

[jasdon11]

What an arrogant and disrespectful little b*tch, too bad she has no authority over HIS domain names or birth right to use his own name for whatever the hell he wants. I would most likely ask her to discuss my trouser snake in her mouth!

had to laugh at this... and I agree with it

Double penetration - do you know her...how big IS her mouth?

[hugegrowth]

Wouldn't be surprised if the beer company was doing this just for the PR. How else would Sam Adams beer make the mainstream press? Watch for the mayoral candidate to show up in commercials for Sam Adams beer, or better yet, in one of their competitors ads "Which beer does the real Sam Adams drink?"

[Doc Com]

So, they are a company brand and known as Samuel Adams http://www.samueladams.com/verification/ but feel they have rights to any variation of that name?

Okay, they have a beer named Sam Adams.

COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARKS

©The Boston Beer Company. The content on this site and/or its compilation or arrangement is the property of BBC Brands, LLC and/or its content providers, and is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Users of this website may not copy, redistribute or republish the content on this site for any purpose other than individual personal use without the express permission of BBC Brands, LLC.

BBC Brands, LLC is the owner of the trademarks SAMUEL ADAMS®, SAM ADAMS®, HARDCORE®, and TWISTED TEA®, and of other associated trademarks, graphics and logos. These marks may not be used in any manner likely to cause confusion, disparage or dilute these marks and/or in connection with any product or service that is not authorized or sponsored by BBC Brands, LLC.

So, do they insist on sending C&D and threatening letters to all holders of domain names with the word HARDCORE in it?

I hope this candidate fights them. And I hope they drink Budweiser. And I think it would be funny as hell for another beer maker to provide legal counsel on this.

[Credit]

...s the owner of the trademarks SAMUEL ADAMS®, SAM ADAMS®, HARDCORE®, and TWISTED TEA®, and of other associated trademarks, graphics and logos. ...

So, do they insist on sending C&D and threatening letters to all holders of domain names with the word HARDCORE in it?

I think they just put in HARDCORE because that's what's going to happen to her and to her company's domains if this guy actually becomes mayor and decides to go after her.

[Dave Zan]

How about that? It's in WSJ too:

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/10/25/...s-v-sam-adams/

Mr. Adams ought to try San Miguel.

Would be rather a shame if this leads to court. I hope not.

[Doc Com]

I love a wide variety of the Samual Adams Beer but this whole brew-ha-ha puts a bad taste in my mouth.

Update: A spokeswoman for Boston Beer called the Law Blog and said they never had an issue with the mayoral candidate using his name but they do have an issue with the radio station using Sam Adams for its own business purposes.

http://samadamsformayor.com/default.aspx
http://mayorsamadams.com/default.aspx

Look at his websites. Taken down. Shameful strong arm tactics!

Folks, we need to play up the hell out of this. This controversy is enough to get him elected. All this press and publicity...are you kidding me? A story in the WSJ?...how much do you think this would have cost him?

Everytime we index this it make the rankings higher and higher. This story is already number one in google:

Results 1 - 10 of about 2,390,000 for sam adams. (0.21 seconds)

Number two is the brewery. So who do you think is winning this publicity campaign? How many people had heard of Commissioner Sam Adams of Portland, Oregon prior to this?

And what about if and when he wins the election?

Are they going to petition the state to not allow him to use his name in office?

What a farce.

[Brett Lewis]

I'm all for driving the search rankings up. The letter was overreaching and ridiculous. The real Sam Adams should hold a Portland Beer party and dump Sam Adams beer into the river.

But I can't help but wondering . . . If the lawyer who sent the letter was a man, would you be talking about unzipping your pants? Not sure why that's acceptable because a woman wrote the letter.

What an arrogant and disrespectful little b*tch, too bad she has no authority over HIS domain names or birth right to use his own name for whatever the hell he wants. I would most likely ask her to discuss my trouser snake in her mouth!

[Doc Com]

I'm all for driving the search rankings up. The letter was overreaching and ridiculous. The real Sam Adams should hold a Portland Beer party and dump Sam Adams beer into the river.

This guy may get elected simply on all the sympathy of the little guy taking on the big guy.

Love your idea of playing on the Boston Tea Party theme and pouring Sam Adams beer into the river (alas, a waste of beer...sobbing )

I think this guy wins the TM issue by default of his birth certificate (funny, I'll bet his real name is Samuel) and hopefully will win the election by a landslide. It's almost like...who can possibly run against him? This guy is getting millions of dollars worth of promo's and publicity and not spending a dime.