Yorkshire brewers in High Court 'score draw'
A Yorkshire brewery has been told to stop using the white rose emblem on its bottles following a drawn-out legal dispute with Samuel Smith.
Cropton Brewery, a microbrewery, used the white rose on its Yorkshire Warrior beer, which raises cash for the Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Fund for wounded soldiers.
Sam Smith’s, the celebrated Tadcaster brewer, claimed the rose breached its own trademark, and also objected to white rose on Cropton’s Yorkshire Bitter beer, sold exclusively in Marks & Spencer.
In the High Court, a judge upheld the complaint against Yorkshire Warrior but not the M&S ale, and ordered both parties to pay their own costs. He made no award for damages.
Mr Justice Arnold described the ruling as a “score draw” and said the case should have been resolved through mediation rather than in the courts.
