A Stillwater Company Wins Trademark Battle Over the Popular Drinking Game Hammer-Schlagen
A Stillwater company with a 21-year-old trademark for the popular drinking game Hammer-Schlagen has won a trademark infringement battle with a Chaska brewery.
U.S. District Chief Judge John Tunheim ruled in early March that WRB Inc.’s trademark remains valid and enforceable. The trademark was established in 2000, according to the company’s website, and a lawsuit filed in December against Schram Haus Brewery.
The ruling said Schram Haus cannot use WRB’s intellectual property in connection with advertising, promoting, or selling any goods or services. It banned the brewery from using any of WRB’s trademarks that may confuse or deceive customers about the ownership, origin, or validity of the company’s intellectual property.
The origin of Hammer-Schlagen is on WRB’s website and in the lawsuit filed on Dec. 11, 2020. The game, most frequently played around Oktoberfest with pints of beer, originated as a game in Germany.
