d’Arenberg settles lawsuit against brewer

Australian brewer Feral has agreed to alter the label of its Sly Fox ale following a long-running trademark battle with winemaker d’Arenberg, who claimed it infringed on the rights of its own Feral Fox Pinot Noir.

The Australian winemaker lodged a legal complaint nearly two years ago against the brewer following the release of its Sly Fox ale, claiming it infringed upon its own Feral Fox Pinot Noir, which was registered in 2002.

Having reached an agreement, Feral will be allowed to keep its name, but must alter its branding, according to reports by Australian Brews News. 

Speaking to the paper, Steve Finney, Feral’s national sales and marketing manager, said it was a “good outcome”, in that the brewer was able to keep its name, but that it had been “expensive and a waste of everyone’s time”.

“If the brand wasn’t going well, it would have been a whole lot easier just to drop it and rename it something else, but it’s actually got brand recognition and credibility over here, so we had to fight it”, he said.

Feral’s beer will now be labelled as Sly Fox [by] Feral Brewing, rather than “Feral Sly Fox”.

D’Arenberg’s chief financial operator Lincoln Ridley said the dispute had been “settled amicably” but declined to comment further.