Dive Brief:
- Anheuser-Busch InBev has told the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office it opposes a proposal by a North Carolina craft brewer to trademark its name: Natty Greene's.
- AB says that name is too similar to "Natty Light," which the brewers says is a common nickname for its Natural Light brand.
- Natty Greene's, named for Revolutionary War hero Gen. Nathaniel Greene, makes Buckshot Amber Ale and Southern Pale Ale.
Dive Insight:
AB seems to have developed a proclivity for getting into legal tangles with craft brewers.
Earlier this year AB settled a dispute with Big Sky Brewing Co. over taglines and video ads. Now comes a battle over the word "natty."