Lucasfilm strikes back in trademark dispute over Empire brewery's 'Strikes Bock' beer
Star Wars producer Lucasfilm has filed a trademark dispute with a small New York-based brewery, Empire Brewing Co, whose signature is named “Strikes Bock”.
Dispute: Lucasfilm is opposing a trademark application
Lucasfilm is claiming that the lager name is “virtually identical” to the Empire Strikes Back trademark and is opposing an application by the brewery to trademark it.
The legal papers state: “Applicant’s EMPIRE STRIKES BOCK mark is virtually identical in sound, appearance, and connotation to Lucasfilm’s THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK mark, differing by only one letter in the respective last works ‘BOCK’ and ‘BACK’, and the initial word ‘THE’.”
However, Empire owner David Katleski rebuffed the claims, telling Syracuse.com: “The thing is the beer is called ‘Strikes Bock’, not ‘Empire Strikes Bock’. It’s ‘Strikes Bock’ by Empire.”
Although the company has been producing the beer for seven years, Empire submitted the trademark application amid plans to begin selling the product in shops as well as on tap.