Patagonia Clothes vs Patagonia Beer

Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, filed a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California claiming federal trademark infringement, unfair competition, dilution of a famous mark and cancellation of trademark registration. Anheuser-Busch recently adopted the business name “Patagonia Brewing Co.” and launched a marketing campaign for its new Patagonia beer, beginning at ski resorts in Colorado. Patagonia asserts that Anheuser-Busch has tried to take advantage of the outdoor clothing company’s 40-year-old brand and reputation as a company dedicated to environmental conservation and that Anheuser-Busch has created a logo “strikingly similar” to Patagonia’s own mountain silhouette logo. Patagonia asks that Anheuser-Busch be found to have infringed its marks and that it be stopped from continuing to make its Patagonia beer or using anything that infringes the clothing company’s marks. The company also asked to recover damages and lost profits, as well as punitive damages.