Thread: Miller Continues to Spin; 3rd Version of Illegal Alien Spons

September 06, 2006
Miller Continues to Spin; 3rd Version of Illegal Alien Sponsorship Story

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives ... tinue.html

By Debbie Schlussel

Yesterday, we presented you with two different conflicting messages sent out to readers of this site by Miller Brewing Company regarding its $30,000 sponsorship of an illegal alien rally. Now, there's a third. You'd think that if the company was going to lie, at least it could get its story straight--and stick to one.

The first claimed Miller did not sponsor the illegal alien rally, this past Labor Day weekend (when in fact Miller DID sponsor it). The second version did not disown the rally, and instead, not only admitted to it, but supported relaxing immigration laws for amnesty. Now, there's a third version that claims Miller not only did not sponsor the rally, but did not authorize the use of its trademarks by the rally attendees.

Here's the third version, sent to us by reader Kenneth R.:
antimillerbumpersticker.jpg
(Artwork by David Lunde)

Date: Wed, 06 Sep 2006 01:34:18 -0400

From: Milleronline Milleronline@mbco.com, mnettles@mbco.com, Nettles.Michelle@mbco.com, Kaplan.Wolfe.Kristin@mbco.com

Subject: Miller's trade marks Re: 12417387

Thanks for contacting us. . . . Miller Brewing Company does not support illegal immigration or any other unlawful act. We are not sponsoring this march and we did not authorize the use of our trademarks in associaton with this event.

But reader Kenneth R. is an attorney, who asks Miller--if it truly opposes the use of its trademarks for the illegal alien rally--why it does not take legal action (as it usually does in the slightest of cases) to protect against trademark infringement.:

If the use of your trademarks in association with the event was truly unauthorized, then perhaps Miller ought to sue the march organizers for trademark infringement.

It is noted that Miller has in fact actually sued its competitors for using the word "Lite" to market their beers [Miller Brewing Co. v.> Falstaff Brewing Co., 655 F.2d 5 (1st Cir. 1981)], and has claimed that a beer called "Highlite" would be confused with Miller's own "Miller High Life" trademark [Miller Brewing Co. v. Carling-O'Keefe Brewing Cos. of Canada, 452 F. Supp. 429 (W.D.N.Y. 197]. Miller has even crossed the border, presumably legally, and gone into Canada to sue Labatt for its advertising slogan "All you want in a beer" because of feared confusion with Miller's slogan "Everything you always wanted in a beer. And less." [Miller Brewing Co. v. Labatt Brewing Co., 36 C.P.R. (3d) 400 (Canada Trade Marks Opposition Board, 1991)].

Miller's contentions that it was not sponsoring the illegal alien march and did not authorize the use of its trademarks in connection with the event would be far, far more credible if Miller would send its attorneys to court to exact its due remedies from these nefarious trademark infringers.

Miller is talking the talk. The public needs to see Miller walk the walk!!

Amen! Kenneth R. sent that to Miller, and called the brewer's bluff. We'll see if the company responds. Don't hold your breath. Miller--the Official Beer of Illegal Aliens.

Posted by Debbie at September 6, 2006 05:25 PM

no... instead it will be the 4th layer of spin coming back out

I guess they dont like the drop in the price of their stock. This boycott is growing, so I wonder what they will try to say on Monday.