When 2 brewers fought over who could be crowned as a king in Canada
In 1982, Federal Court judge said Budweiser could not use phrase 'king of beers' on its packaging
Throughout history, there have been many disputes involving crowns, territory and treasure.
Thirty-seven years ago, one such fight involved two large brewers duelling over a regal name in a former British dominion. The treasure in this case was a gold-coloured, American-style lager.
In December of 1982, a federal court judge ruled that Budweiser beer — then being brewed by Labatt for the Canadian market and already accounting for $125 million in annual sales — could not be described as "king of beers" on packaging used on this side of the border.
The slogan was considered a trademark violation against a competing Carling O'Keefe product called Kingsbeer that had been brewed in Canada for decades.
A name worth fighting for?
The court's ruling meant new labels were supposed to be printed for Budweiser beer sold here.
Yet there was enough Budweiser inventory left sitting in limbo for Labatt to push for an extension to sell its pre-existing stock, despite the issues with the labels.
"It is worth a lot of money," said Daniel Bereskin, a lawyer for Labatt, estimating that beer stock was worth up to $3 million.
Follow-up reports in newspapers suggest Labatt was successful in that pushback, winning the right to sell its previously manufactured stock.