The Australian Sex Party has been ordered to cease and desist marketing its new Queer Beer, which apparently infringes a trade mark currently licensed to Tasmanian brewer Two Metre Tall.
The party announced the release of its Queer Beer earlier this month to celebrate and raise funds for its campaign in favour of marriage equality.
But Tasmanian Lisa Jarman last week wrote to inform the party that the product breaches a trade mark registered by her in January 2015.
“The name is presently licensed to the Two Metre Tall Brewing Company, which is an ‘authorised user’ of the trade mark and you are infringing their rights to the use of this name,” her letter says.
There is no Queer Beer in 2MT’s permanent range but the brewer has previously used the name on a small batch product.
“It’s not a good look for a political party to be breaking the law to get its message out at this stage in its campaign, and despite the pretty labelling it certainly doesn’t say much for the thinking going on behind the scenes,” Jarman said in a statement.
“A sad day for those donating and those working hard to actually promote marriage equality.”
Jarman told Australian Brews News she had originally registered the trade mark with the intention of launching a Queer Beer at last year’s TasPride event, but subsequently licensed it to her friends at 2MT.
2MT and The Australian Sex Party were contacted for comment.
Really? That’s not the way I saw this playing out. The Sex Party appeared to be doing this as a charity event to fund LGBTIQ issues abroad including support for victims in Orlando. I detect a political elephant in the room.