White Claw, the nation’s largest hard seltzer brand, is taking some strong steps in order to protect its good name.
TMZ reported that the Claw’s parent company, Mark Anthony Brands International, has filed a lawsuit against a small, woman owned business called Fun Club, LLC. The California based online shop sells novelty apparel and gift items.
The Fun Club also sells candles featuring funny scents and sayings such as “Chill, Bitch” and “Zen as F*ck.” The candle line also included – up until recently – a candle made from wax poured into a recycled White Claw can.
However, the company responsible for producing said can considered the candles to be an act of trademark infringement. TMZ reports that it comes down to consumer safety for the hard seltzer brand.
“[I]f an improperly labeled, insufficiently insulated, or defectively manufactured candle with its logo ends up burning someone or causing a fire … all of its hard-earned goodwill could be destroyed in an instant,” said TMZ.
“asking the court to block sale of the candles and force the defendants to fork over any of the profits they’ve made off the White Claw brand.”
Furthermore, TMZ reports that the Claw is “asking the court to block sale of the candles and force the defendants to fork over any of the profits they’ve made off the White Claw brand.”
Is the lawsuit against Fun Club, LLC a bit much from the OG spiked seltzer brand? Owner Caitlin Minges claimed that she stopped selling the White Claw candles after receiving a cease and desist from Mark Anthony Brands. She only learned of the lawsuit after TMZ reached out for comment.
“It is unfortunate that White Claw dislikes recycling and is using its enormous resources as a massive company to go after small women owned businesses who are attempting to make something functional out of their garbage,” Ms. Minges told TMZ.
The suit is not the only extraordinary step the brand has taken recently in order to protect its name. According to a June 17 filing with the USPTO, the hard seltzer makers are attempting to register the term “Claw” by itself.
The filing includes goods and services including mugs, drinkware, and a variety of clothing, headwear and footwear as well as “brewed sugar based beer” and “hard seltzer.”
Largely credited with starting the hard seltzer craze during the summer of 2019, White Claw initially hit the market in 2016. As the US’s best selling hard seltzer brand, the Claw enjoys around 60% of the spiked and sparkling market share. By comparison, its closest competitor – Truly – just climbed up to 30%.
Recent releases for the iconic brand include Surge
, its new 8% ABV imperial hard seltzer, a spiked and sparkling iced tea, and its third variety pack
. New flavors for Variety Pack #3 include Blackberry, Strawberry, and the delightfully dry Pineapple.
Like the original flavors which set the standard for the entire segment, the new flavors contain 10 calories, 2 grams of carbs, and 5% ABV.
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