Similar names prompt Pa. brewers' 'Elf' battle

[April 05, 2011]  HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A central Pennsylvania brewery is hopping mad over the name given to another brewer's elfish ale.

Harrisburg's Troegs Brewing Company wants Fegley's Brew Works in Bethlehem to stop selling a beer with a name similar to Troegs' Mad Elf Ale. The brewer wants the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Fegley's trademark on Rude Elf's Reserve.

Troegs says the two seasonal beers are likely to cause confusion among consumers since they have similar names and are distributed in some of the same areas.

Fegley's Brew Works owner Jeff Fegley tells The Patriot-News of Harrisburg that Troegs just wants to "monopolize the word 'elf' in advertising its beer."

Discovery in the case began Monday but the legal challenge could stretch into next year.

[Associated Press]

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