Last year, we reported on a possible trademark war between two breweries, CUB and Thunder Road Brewery.
Thunder Road Brewery launched a number of beers under old names, including “Brunswick Bitter, Since 1876” and “Richmond Pilsner, Since 1928”. At the same time, Thunder Road Brewery (through “Intellectual Property Development Corporation” and “Elixir Signature Pty Ltd”) filed a number of trademark non-use applications against CUB and opposed the grant of a number of “new” CUB trademarks (reported here).
Under the Trade Marks Act, a non-use application may be made to remove a registered trade mark if the mark has not been used in a three year period prior to the application for removal.
The latest development reported by Fairfax is that CUB have defended the raft of non-use applications against a number of ‘historic’ trademark registrations for beer at an Australian Trademark Office Hearing on 17 April 2013.
Elixir Signature Pty Ltd have filed non-use applications against 54 trademarks (at a cost of over $13,000AUD in government fees alone). We now await the decision of the Hearing Officer. On current trademark office timing, the decision(s) should issue within 3 to 4 months.
Here is a list of the 54 non-use applications against CUB trademarks that have been filed in the name of Elixir Signature Pty Ltd:
| Trademark | Owner | Class | Non-Use Applicant |
| 2445 |
BALLARAT BREWING CO | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 9948 |
INVICTA WHITE HORSE ALE TOOTH & CO LIMITED | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 12786 |
TOOTH’S BEER SYDNEY | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 18894 |
ABBOTS ABBOTSFORD | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 24686 |
MELBOURNE BITTER AB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 30084 |
ABBOTSFORD SPARKLING ALE ABS SPECIAL | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 33775 |
ABBOTS | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 35759 |
AS BRIGHT AND AS CLEAR AS THE RISING SUN BULIMBA GOLD TOP | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 37316 | BULIMBA | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 37318 | TOP | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 42305 | TOOTH’S | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 52638 |
CARLTON ALE CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 54596 |
ABBOTS ABBOTSFORD AB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 56575 |
N.Q. | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 56986 |
BOCK CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 57474 |
TIGER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 66331 |
CARLTON C.B. | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 67577 |
CARLTON BITTER ALE CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 67578 |
CARLTON BITTER ALE CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 67579 |
V VICTORIA | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 67580 |
MCCRACKEN’S INVALID STOUT CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 93751 |
MCCRACKEN’S CITY BREWERY AK LIGHT ALE | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 106919 |
QB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 119866 |
AUSTRALIAN BITTER ALE CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 127009 |
RICHMOND LAGER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 153683 |
N.Q. | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 173634 |
K.B. TOOTHS | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 217098 | GOLD TOP | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 225429 |
ABBOTS | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 225432 |
ABBOTS LAGER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 228982 |
CARLTON MALT ALE CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 233692 |
CARLTON DRAUGHT CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 233921 |
CARLTON CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 261041 |
NQ LAGER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 300006 |
BRISBANE BITTER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 352488 |
CARLTON DRAUGHT CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 352489 |
CARLTON DRAUGHT CUB | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 369884 |
32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD | |
| 369886 |
BALLARAT BITTER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 411589 | BRISBANE BITTER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 420564 | ABBOTS EXXTRA LIGHT | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 457529 |
KENT OLD BROWN | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 497121 |
CAIRNS DRAUGHT | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 536842 |
CUB BALLARAT BITTER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 564232 | ABBOTS ABBOTS LAGER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 626214 |
32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD | |
| 626215 |
TIGER HEAD | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 752208 | TIGER HEAD | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 752209 | CARLTON STAR | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 752213 | CARLTON STRIPE | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 758333 |
TIGER RICHMOND LAGER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 915899 |
32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD | |
| 915900 | BALLARAT BERTIE | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
| 1121877 |
N.Q. LAGER | 32 | ELIXIR SIGNATURE PTY LTD |
