The Latest News:
- Stateside Brands, the parent company of Surfside, has filed a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch for allegedly copying the design of Surfside’s popular vodka tea cans for their Skimmers line of cocktails.
- The lawsuit highlights similarities in the can designs, including color bands at the bottom, a white background, and a sun logo at the top. Surfside accuses Anheuser-Busch of trying to benefit from the success of Surfside’s products.
- Surfside is seeking damages and a court order for Anheuser-Busch to stop using the similar design. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson has stated that they will vigorously defend against the lawsuit.
Insightful Analysis:
This lawsuit adds to a trend of food and beverage companies going to court over alleged imitation and unfair competition. J.M. Smucker previously sued Trader Joe’s over a similar product, and Mondelēz has accused Aldi of copying Oreo and other snacks.
While overall alcohol consumption has decreased, ready-to-drink cocktails like vodka teas remain popular. Stateside entered this market in 2021 with Surfside, while Anheuser-Busch launched Skimmers in 2019.
Surfside experienced significant growth in its second year on the market, with Stateside earning substantial revenue from the sale of Surfside products. The lawsuit seeks monetary compensation and a portion of Anheuser-Busch’s profits.
However, Stateside may face challenges in the legal process due to the lack of federal trademark registration for its can design. This could make it harder to prove ownership of the design elements and win the case.
Attorneys for Surfside have not provided additional comments at this time.