Will the Real Sam Adams Please Stand Up?
When you think of Sam Adams, what comes to mind? If you’re a historian, you may think of the Founding Father from Boston. If you’re like Boston Daily, you probably think of a brown bottle of beer sitting in a tub of ice. If you’re a mayoral candidate in Portland, Oregon you may be a little mad with your mother for naming you Sam.
Portland’s City Commissioner, Sam Adams, is running for mayor. Some local talk radio hosts bought some Sam Adams-related domain names for the candidate, which led to a cease and desist order from the Boston-based beer brewer of the same name.
The letter from Boston Beer Co. came to [talk radio host Dave] Anderson last week.
“Boston Beer has used the trademarks SAM ADAMS and SAMUEL ADAMS since 1984,” said the letter, which asked Anderson to surrender the Web sites.
The candidate’s retort makes us want to vote for him.
“They say they’ve been using this trademark since 1984,” Adams said. “I’ve been using it since 1963.”
The Boston Beer Company apparently thought the websites were hoaxes and have since taken a gentler tone with the Oregonian Adams. However, he may not be able to remain master of his domain after the election.
[Boston Beer Co. spokesperson Helen] Bornemann said she’s willing to discuss Adams’ use of his name on his Web sites “probably for the length of the time the election is being held.”
We think it would be pretty clear to anyone who landed on mayorsamadams.com that it wasn’t affiliated with the brewing company. Let’s hope Portland’s Sam Adams has the spirit of Boston’s patriot and tells the company he’s keeping his URL.
October 25th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
We’re having fun with this in Portland. All of Sam’s possible challengers have backed off, so Boston Beer’s probably going to have to get used to him.
In fact, Portland has more breweries and brewpubs per capita than any city in the nation — Sam even announced his campaign at a brewpub — and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tried to pull off a Sam Adams Campaign Ale just to tweak them.
And just imagine if Portland had been named Boston, Oregon — it almost was.
http://www.almostboston.com/
October 25th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Sam Adams needs to do their research a little more before bringing their high powered legal team to bear. So if she’s going to allow the use of the name through the election, does that mean Mr. Adams will be changing his name to something else? Hey Samuel Adams…how about a campaign endorsement? Or turn this into something positive for both parties, or all three parties. Just a suggestion from a consumer.
October 25th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Ha: Sam Adams beer used to be brewed in Portland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Adams_%28beer%29#History_of_the_brand
October 26th, 2007 at 12:35 am
This is really a joke isn’t it? Hmm, lets all change our names to Sam Adams. Wouldn’t that be fun.?
October 26th, 2007 at 2:19 am
Why is it always about Boston? The Boston Beer company should issue a formal apology to Commissioner Sam Adams for claiming to own a piece of American history, and asking for the URL. Sam Adams in Portland = political hopeful, not average beer that does not sell here. From a Portland Beer Guy.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:27 am
Boston Beer Co. has a buch of boneheads for an advertising and legal department. Here was an excellant advertising opportunity for them to ride on the coattails of a popular politician in Portland, OR with the same name as their beer,Sam Adams, and they get out the hammer instead.
Word is they are going to have their own ‘Boston Tea Party’ only they are going to throw Sam Adams beer off the Broadway Bridge into the Wilammette River! Great marketing guys.
October 27th, 2007 at 10:38 am
I know it’s counterintuitive but the law on this is crazy. It’s REALLY easy to lose one’s rights that were paid for and/or built up, just by failing to act like assholes. The blame should be placed on the politicos who keep the law ambiguous, not some people just trying to brew decent beer. The law is a slegehammer because Kleenex, Rubbermaid and numerous other brands have become generic terms after competitors ripped them off. Just because this all is nonsensical doesn’t mean it’s not the law.(Quite the opposite).
October 27th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Hey Helen,
KEX Portland’s Mark & Dave are having a lot of fun at your (and Boston Brewing’s) expense. Two words could end this whole thing….”I’m sorry.”
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:50 am
Sam Adams… boston beer my ass… I have the picture to prove it.
http://flickr.com/photos/juliapatriciaroy/1836963609/
August 29th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Joan Wagar and Eric Carlson, A,K,A, Doubleclick and Mrs Dash,( yes those are there nicknames they gave each other.) admited to poisoning me while I was a plasma donor back in 2005.
Eric carlson pedofied me behind prison walls and then framed me as a pedophile on march 26th 2007, I caught the crime on a audio recorder I put in Joan’s purse.
there were people in authority helping them with this and nobody in authority will help they pretend nothing happened and refuse to investigate this.
Eric carlson changed his hair color and his name but this is not hidden, only ignored by the authority’s and media
Im disabled from being poisoned and the hospitals refuse to admit Im poisoned.
My Family is in danger from these people and I have no other recorse but to make these charges public.