SAN DIEGO — A San Diego federal jury awarded local craft brewer Stone Brewing $56 million Friday in its trademark infringement trial against beer giant Molson Coors.
The lawsuit alleged Molson Coors' Keystone Light rebrand in 2017 confused customers by prominently displaying the word "Stone" on its packaging, and that the alleged infringement cost Stone millions of dollars.
Attorneys for Molson Coors argued that the "Stone" nickname has long been a part of Keystone marketing, and that customers were unlikely to mistake Stone's craft products for a "budget beer" such as Keystone.
In an online statement, Stone co-founder Greg Koch celebrated the legal victory, saying "This is a historic day for Stone Brewing, and for the craft beer industry. Molson Coors threatened our heritage, but we stood up to that threat. They will put the `Key' back in `Keystone' ending their hostile four-year co-op of the Stone name. Cheers to our fans, friends and supporters who believe in the good that craft beer brings. This is your win, too."
Molson Coors issued its own statement, in which the company said it would evaluate its appeal options.
"It's been clear all along that there is no credible confusion between Keystone Light and Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale or any of Stone Brewing's other products," the statement read. Molson Coors also said the jury awarded Stone with "a fraction of what they were demanding" and that the lawsuit "was not driven by consumer confusion, and that Stone Brewing has a $464 million debt to pay to their private equity investors in 2023."
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