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Obamagang: Feds no fun when it comes to the law
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
Obamagang: Feds no fun when it comes to the law
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| Change was needed. |
| Examiner.com |
Belgian-owned, Cooperstown, NY-based Brewery Ommegang was recently slapped down for having too much fun by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The feds rejected the name "Obamagang" for the brewery's commemorative inauguration beer, to be released tomorrow.
Apparently, it is unlawful to use anyone's name or likeness for profit without his or her consent. Almost-President Obama is filing a suit against every street-corner T-shirt hawker as we speak.
Ommegang begrudgingly changed the official name of their "porter-stout with a hint of kriek and chocolate" to Inauguration Ale 2009, but kept the original Obamagang moniker on tap handles accompanying 600 kegs of the beer destined for select bars in Syracuse, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
Seen Through A Glass writer Lew Bryson mentioned the name flap on Jan. 8; the Examiner.com's Bill Dowd printed the details Jan. 14.
In the Philadelphia area, drinkers from both sides of the aisle can taste Inauguration Ale 2009 at London Grill, both Tria locations and Teresa's Next Door in Wayne.
London Grill, 2301 Fairmount Ave., 215-978-4545
Tria, 123 S. 18th St., 215-972-8742; 1137 Spruce St., 215-629-9200
Teresa's Next Door, 124-126 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, 610-293-9909
I tried it tonight at Tria! It was really good... a porter both sweet and slightly sour, and not too heavy, surprisingly. I hope it makes a reappearance soon!
"Apparently, it is unlawful to use anyone’s name or likeness for profit without his or her consent."Weird. As a general matter, this is definitely not true with respect to an elected official - anyone can legally sell merchandise with their likeness once. Copyright is different - you can't use the Obama logo without permission, for example. It would have to be that there is something in the Alcohol and Tobacco bureau's regulations that forbid using a person's image this way without permission, no matter who they are. Such a strange rule.
Mithras: Very strange rule, indeed. Perhaps the ATTTP objected to the way it was used? Obamagang could be read a few ways. Thanks for the insight into this totally baffling law. Kitchenplay: I'm so jealous you got to try it! Porters are often perceived to be very heavy, but as long as the malts are roasted forever, they can be quite refreshing. Especially with a little tart tingle in there.
Seems a little stiff on their part. Ommegang makes great beer and makes me want to have too much fun sometimes lol. O well they are great people and probably laughed it off. As long as they keep making it they can call it Ommegangpoop and I would still drink it...
I'll be at Ommegang this weekend, actually. I'll try to remember to report back.
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