Calif. Brewer Anchor Steam Sues East Coast Brewer Over Trademark

San Francisco’s Anchor Steam Brewery had been seeking to assert its trademark rights against City Steam Brewery, a Connecticut beer-maker, for some time, but now that it has learned City Steam is selling its beer outside of its pub, Anchor Steam has filed a lawsuit. Of note: the suit also cites City Steam for “cyberpiracy,” referring to its domain name: www.citysteam.biz. In the craft brew world, where many common words are being used and re-used for branding, the case may provide trademark guidance on a variety of ongoing disputes.