A devilishly good beer

© Brouwerij Boon

'They say that Duvel is named after the Devil, but drink and you will see God'.

Duvel is a strong, blonde Belgian beer with a firm head and a fresh citrus flavour.

It is brewed by Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, a Belgian family brewery founded in 1871. Duvel has remained unchanged since 1923. The brewery has built a solid reputation and now exports its products to 72 countries.

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat recently became aware of a European trademark application from another Belgian Brewery, Frank Boon. Frank Boon Brewery filed a trademark application for the trademark DUIVELS BIER (devilish beer) for beer and related products. Duvel opposed this on the grounds of risk of confusion.  

Whether the European Trademarks Office will agree remains to be seen. Our take? There are clear visual similarities between DUIVELS BIER and Duvel. The colour red features in both marks and the words are conceptually similar. It’s not hard to imagine consumers becoming confused between Duivels and Duvel, especially after a few beers.

Author: Erwin Haüer

Bio: Erwin is a trademark attorney and, as the managing partner, in charge of IT and Information Management. He works extensively with startups and scale-ups, while his clientele also includes numerous multinational corporations. Erwin possesses a sharp wit and a keen eye for remarkable trademark news and curious brand infringements.