Red Bull backs down in trademark fight with British brewer

The energy drink giant, Red Bull, has today confirmed that it has backed down over its trademark fight with the small-scale British beer manufacturer, Redwell Brewing. Red Bull had claimed that the name "Redwell" could confuse its customers. A letter to the brewery from the company's brand enforcement manager, Hansjorg Jeserznik, suggested that Redwell's trademark was "highly similar" to Red Bull.

In a statement received today, a Red Bull UK spokesman said:

"There is no dispute here. Red Bull has long been willing to allow Redwell to maintain its mark for beer so long as they do not use it for energy drinks. Redwell's solicitor has agreed to this."

Patrick Fisher, the owner of Redwell Brewing, had previously commented "Our name is different, our branding is different. We don't make energy drinks and we're not planning to move into Formula One or send a man skydiving from space very soon."

Redwell Brewing, which has been established for just five months, is named after Redwell Street in Norwich, the firm's home town. It brews around 5000 pints of beer per week.

by Marcus Williamson
Freelance journalist
15 August 2013
E-mail: marcus@connectotel.com

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