Stone Brewing, an independent small brewery from California, sued MillerCoors (then a subsidiary of the Molson Coors group) claiming that the beer redesign Keystone Light overemphasized the word “STONE”, isolating it in the packaging. This, according to the lawsuit, confused consumers and damaged Stone's mark. The case went to a jury in 2022, which convicted MillerCoors, recognizing trademark infringement and awarding damages in favor of Stone Brewing. This is one of the most significant victories for a small brand against a multinational giant in the brewing industry.
Type of Confusion: Reverse confusion - the consumer perceives the small mark as a variant of the large one due to projection
Plaintiff Strategy: Reaction to visual dominance and identity alteration through redesign by a larger competitor
- Countries: USA
- Year/Period: 2018-2022
- Branch: Food & Drinks - Beer
- Subject of controversy: Use of the word “STONE” on beer packaging
- Winner: Stone Brewing
- Loser: Molson Coors
- Cost to Winner: Unknown (multi-year legal process, likely cost ~$1M+ in legal fees)
- Cost to Loser: ~$56 million in damages based on jury verdict
- Source of Decision: dailyjournal.com
