‘Yellowstone’ creator and showrunner Taylor Sheridan is suing Cole Hauser, one of the stars of the popular family drama over his recently founded coffee company.
Sheridan is accusing Hausner, who plays cowboy Rip Wheeler in the show, of trade mark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising. He claims that Hausner’s coffee company, ‘Free Rein’, is strikingly similar to his own, ‘Bosque Ranch’, which was launched four months earlier.
The Yellowstone creator’s claim is based on the fact that Free Rein’s logo, which consists of an intertwined F and R could potentially cause confusion amongst customers, deceiving them as to the company’s affiliation, connection, or association with Bosque Ranch’s registered trade mark, which utilises an intertwined B and R.
Similarities between the two brands can also be found on their respective websites, with Bosque Ranch describing itself as embodying ‘the spirit of the cowboy’ whilst Free Rein is said to ‘embody the spirit of the west’.
Legal action was entered into by Bosque Ranch on 21st November 2023, with Sheridan’s company requesting that Free Rein is permanently prevented from using the mark and that all materials bearing the mark are destroyed, alongside seeking compensation for past use.
It is to be seen in whose favour the court will rule.
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