A Boston brewing company that produces multiple libations touting the name Sam Adams is not amused by the recent web campaigns promoting Sam Adams for Mayor. The company has asked those who registered the sites to surrender them.
The Boston Beer Co., brewer of
Sam Adams, was not happy when it discovered a recent web campaign in which Sam Adams was running for Mayor of Portland, OR. The company, who has run campaigns in the past rallying 'Sam Adams for President' believed they were being ripped off, and sent letters to the registered owners of the web sites asking them to surrender them.
The letter read "Boston Beer has used the trademarks SAM ADAMS and SAMUEL ADAMS since 1984" and went on to ask Dave Anderson, host of KEX radio to give up the websites.
The two web sites,
www.samadamsformayor.com and
www.mayorsamadams.com, were registered by two hosts of the radio station, Anderson and Mark Mason. They were created for a purpose.
When the current Portland Mayor decided he would not run for re-election, the City Commissioner, Sam Adams, decided he would. He is currently, the only candidate. The radio hosts set up the sites promising to give them over to Adams if he would discuss his political future on their show.
The real Sam Adams is a little concerned with the issue, and has consulted his lawyers as yard banners will more than likely be sporting the 'Sam Adams for Portland Mayor' slogan. "They say they've been using this trademark since 1984," Adams said. "I've been using it since 1963."
Boston Beer said they weren’t aware there was a real Sam Adams at the time the letter was sent. The beer maker's Helen Bornemann said that she 'is willing to discuss Adams' use of his name on his Web Sites.
In protest of the battle over a name, the radio show hosts have been playing sound bites on air of a listener pouring Sam Adams beer into a toilet.
Anderson says, "These big corporations have got to stop bullying people around".
