USA: Molson Coors asks for new trial after loss in Stone Brewing trademark case

Beer giant Molson Coors asked a San Diego federal court on October 6 to throw out a $56 million verdict by a jury that said in March that Molson's "Keystone" branding infringed Stone Brewing Co's trademark, Reuters reported.

Molson requested either a new trial or a court ruling that the verdict was unjustified, arguing that Stone could not show any consumer confusion or establish that it suffered any losses.

A spokesperson for Molson Coors said Friday that it remains "confident" in its case and "committed to seeing it through in the courts."

Stone Brewing, meanwhile, asked for a bench retrial on October 6 on its allegations that Molson Coors used the "Stone" name in bad faith, which could entitle it to increased damages if it wins.

The brewery and its attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment on October 7.

Escondido, California-based Stone Brewing sued what was then MillerCoors in 2018, arguing its marketing of Keystone beers that focused on the words "Stone" and "Stones" without "Key" caused consumer confusion and infringed its trademarks.

Stone Brewing told the court that Molson Coors had rebranded Keystone to capitalize on consumer goodwill for Stone, which was then one of America's largest independent craft breweries.

A jury returned a $56 million verdict for Stone Brewing in March.

Molson Coors told U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez on October 6 that the verdict could not stand because Stone Brewing "could not identify a single person who actually bought Keystone thinking it was made by SBC" or "provide any evidence that it lost even one sale" from the Keystone branding.

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