Update: CUB Breweries Defending Non-use Actions Against Old Beer Trademarks

Last year, we reported on a possible trademark war between two breweries, CUB and Thunder Road Brewery.

Thunder Road Brewery launched a number of beers under old names, including “Brunswick Bitter, Since 1876” and “Richmond Pilsner, Since 1928”.  At the same time, Thunder Road Brewery (through “Intellectual Property Development Corporation” and “Elixir Signature Pty Ltd”) filed a number of trademark non-use applications against CUB and opposed the grant of a number of “new” CUB trademarks (reported here).

Under the Trade Marks Act, a non-use application may be made to remove a registered trade mark if the mark has not been used in a three year period prior to the application for removal.

The latest development reported by Fairfax is that CUB have defended the raft of non-use applications against a number of ‘historic’ trademark registrations for beer at an Australian Trademark Office Hearing on 17 April 2013.

Elixir Signature Pty Ltd have filed non-use applications against 54 trademarks (at a cost of over $13,000AUD in government fees alone).  We now await the decision of the Hearing Officer.  On current trademark office timing, the decision(s) should issue within 3 to 4 months.

Here is a list of the 54 non-use applications against CUB trademarks that have been filed in the name of Elixir Signature Pty Ltd:

Trademark Owner Class Non-Use Applicant
 2445
 BALLARAT BREWING CO 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
 9948 INVICTA WHITE HORSE ALE TOOTH & CO LIMITED 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
12786 TOOTH’S BEER SYDNEY 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
18894 ABBOTS ABBOTSFORD 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
24686 MELBOURNE BITTER AB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
30084 ABBOTSFORD SPARKLING ALE ABS SPECIAL 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
33775 ABBOTS 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
35759 AS BRIGHT AND AS CLEAR AS THE RISING SUN BULIMBA GOLD TOP 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
37316 BULIMBA 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
37318 TOP 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
42305 TOOTH’S 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
52638 CARLTON ALE CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
54596 ABBOTS ABBOTSFORD AB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
56575 N.Q. 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
56986 BOCK CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
57474 TIGER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
66331 CARLTON C.B. 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
67577 CARLTON BITTER ALE CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
67578 CARLTON BITTER ALE CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
67579 V VICTORIA 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
67580 MCCRACKEN’S INVALID STOUT CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
93751 MCCRACKEN’S CITY BREWERY AK LIGHT ALE 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
106919 QB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
119866 AUSTRALIAN BITTER ALE CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
127009 RICHMOND LAGER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
153683 N.Q. 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
173634 K.B. TOOTHS 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
217098 GOLD TOP 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
225429 ABBOTS 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
225432 ABBOTS LAGER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
228982 CARLTON MALT ALE CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
233692 CARLTON DRAUGHT CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
233921 CARLTON CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
261041 NQ LAGER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
300006 BRISBANE BITTER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
352488 CARLTON DRAUGHT CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
352489 CARLTON DRAUGHT CUB 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
369884 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
369886 BALLARAT BITTER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
411589 BRISBANE BITTER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
420564 ABBOTS EXXTRA LIGHT 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
457529 KENT OLD BROWN 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
497121 CAIRNS DRAUGHT 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
536842 CUB BALLARAT BITTER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
564232 ABBOTS ABBOTS LAGER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
626214 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
626215 TIGER HEAD 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
752208 TIGER HEAD 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
752209 CARLTON STAR 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
752213 CARLTON STRIPE 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
758333 TIGER RICHMOND LAGER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
915899 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
915900 BALLARAT BERTIE 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD
1121877 N.Q. LAGER 32 ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD