It’s no secret that craft beer is on the rise. It’s been a booming industry for quite some time now. As with any industry that gains in popularity it can become difficult for the businesses to stand out against their competitors.
As a result you will find breweries producing craft beer inspired by other areas of life. Whether it’s a can of beer modeled after a specific cereal, television show, pop culture icon, or anything else you can think of. Breweries will produce whatever it takes to get their beer selected from the countless other options in the market.
However, it begs the question, are breweries obligated to support the brands they use to market their beer? It’s a question being asked as specially themed beer begins to become more popular.
Ya gonna start naming beers after city neighborhoods then not colab with businesses in those hoods? pic.twitter.com/eoChc2IfRT
— Johnson (@moarhops) May 30, 2019
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Breweries: if you're selling a Pride-themed beer, you should also be donating to an LGBTQ-focused charity. Profiting from a cause without helping it is indefensible.
— John Dantzler (@JDantzler3rd) June 4, 2019
While there doesn’t seem to be one specific answer to the question, it’s something that should be considered as more breweries are taking advantage of other areas of life to separate themselves from the beer market crowd. Of course there is something known as a cease and desist that many brewers can attest to having received for some of their creations.
But what about those who’s intellectual property is being used for profit, but cannot afford such legal action? Or don’t want to engage in a legal battle, just be rewarded for their likeness? Where is the line drawn?
It’s not a question that we believe can be answered immediately. However it does create a conversation that leads to industry supporting industry.
