Judge rules against Phyllis Schlafly in beer trademark case

ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has sided with the maker of Schlafly beer in its trademark dispute with conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly.

Phyllis Schlafly sought to block St. Louis Brewery's effort to trademark the brand's name, an effort that began in 2012 as its sales outside Missouri began to grow.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/2aNDQLj ) reported earlier this month that the Patent and Trademark Office dismissed opposition filed by the St. Louis native and her son, Bruce Schlafly, rejecting the argument that a trademark shouldn't be allowed because it's primarily a surname.

The brewery was co-founded in 1991 by Tom Schlafly, who is Phyllis Schlafly's nephew by marriage.

Phyllis Schlafly's attorney, another of her sons, says an appeal is likely.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com