BrewDog retreats over pub trademark dispute
Brewer and bar firm BrewDog has withdrawn from a legal row over the name of a family-run pub, blaming "trigger-happy" lawyers for the action.
The team behind the Wolf pub in Birmingham planned to changed the venue's name to the Lone Wolf until they received a legal warning from BrewDog, which has launched a spirit with the same name.
The brother and sister team behind the pub, Joshua and Sallie McFadyen, told the Guardian newspaper they chose the name in 2015, before BrewDog unveiled its spirits brand but were concerned about fighting back against a much bigger company.
Speaking about the stance of the Scottish firm, which has frequently pitched itself as an upstart in the brewing world and describes itself as a "punk" brewer, Sallie McFayden said: "It is a bit hypocritical because they make a lot of public statements saying how much they support independence and they don't like a big corporate attitude. It seems to go against what they stand for and it was done in such a harsh way."
But now BrewDog has backed down, with co-founder James Watt stating on Twitter:
Our lawyers got a bit trigger happy. We are happy for the Lone Wolf Bar in Birmingham to keep using the name.
Earlier today we contacted Lone Wolf bar and said we would not only cover all costs, but invited them up to make their own gin with us.
- James Watt (@BrewDogJames)
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