UK: The Scottish Sun reports that possible plans for a London brewery hotel have been stalled due to a lawsuit.
Brewdog, famous Scottish craft beer company, have been attempting to expand their American Doghouse Hotel brand to the UK, in London and Aberdeen.
The hotels were planned to not only have bar facilities, but have beers on tap in the rooms and fridges in the shower for beers. However, an unfortunate trademark snag has kept plans from coming to fruition.
The London gin and vodka distillery Doghouse has claimed that the possible trademark has overlapped with their own. The London based Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has sided with them.
The ruling said that Brewdog could not use the name and branding in any possible brewing, hotel, restaurant, or food and drink services. The company’s lawyers shot back saying that the Brewdog copyright was significant enough to distinguish itself.
They supported the argument by saying that their Glasgow bar and restaurant, called Doghouse, was trademarked before the distillery in 2016.
The IPO has heard this argument and disagreed, deciding that the original ruling must stand. Professor Ruth Annand, who presided over the appeal said of the argument: “I have given some thought to this issue, but I am unconvinced that the hearing officer’s finding of a medium degree of similarity was ‘wrong’, that is, outside the bounds of reasonableness on the facts.”
The hotel is trying to move forward, opening its new boutique brand Doghouse Kennels in Aberdeen, with plans to expand to Paris, Manchester, Berlin and London.
