Coachella festival sues Coachella Valley Brewing over ‘confusingly similar’ logos and ads

The owners of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival are suing Coachella Valley Brewing Co., alleging the beer-maker is breaking federal trademark law by using logos and advertising that look like those of the festival.

Coachella Music Festival LLC filed a lawsuit last week in U.S. District Court asking a judge to order the Thousand Palms-based brewery to stop using "confusingly similar" branding. The lawsuit also seeks unspecified damages.

It's the latest time the music festival promoters have gone to court to fight what they say are efforts to capitalize on its internationally famous brand or confuse people into thinking a business is linked to the festival when it's not.

Coachella Valley Brewing Co., which was founded in 2013, has its brewery and its taproom in an industrial park north of Interstate 10 near the intersection of Bob Hope Drive and Varner Road. The brewery’s website states it is locally owned and operated and “committed to crafting beer that showcases the agriculture and the attitudes of the desert.” It also sells its beer online and in several local stores.

Representatives of the brewery did not respond to multiple attempts by The Desert Sun to reach them for comment Thursday. A call to the brewery was not answered or returned.

Logos, labels among disputed elements

Among the alleged examples of infringement is the brewery’s current logo, which depicts a Ferris wheel with large letters spelling out “Coachella.” Below that are smaller letters about a third the size spelling out “Valley Brewing Co.,” which the complaint states can be difficult to discern and serve to strengthen the presumed but erroneous association to the festival.

The festival attorneys write that the Ferris wheel is closely associated with the festival and has long been used in its branding. It also notes that the festival previously used a logo depicting the letters “CVB” on a road sign that it says did not infringe on it.

“Significantly, there is no actual Ferris wheel present at Defendant’s brewery, and inclusion of the Ferris wheel design is a blatant reference to Plaintiff’s Festival and an attempt to associate Defendant with Plaintiff,” the complaint reads.

Also cited is a label for the brewery’s Desert Citrus beer, which contains both the logo and graphical versions of palm trees and mountains on a gradient background that the festival says are highly similar to similar graphics and imagery used in posters and other promotional materials for the festival.

The festival’s attorneys argue that the brewery’s use of the imagery is misleading to consumers because beer and other alcoholic beverages are sold at the festival and consumers are likely to believe that the brewery’s products are associated with or endorsed by the festival when they are not.

It also notes that the festival has several existing sponsorship agreements with other beer companies, which could be infringed.

Another example of alleged infringement in the complaint is a poster with the lineup for a comedy show held at the brewery last week, which the festival owners say uses the same distinctive layout the music festival uses for its lineup fliers.

The complaint states that the poster could give the impression that the festival is associated with the brewery's comedy event and damage the festival’s brand “if anyone is confused by or disappointed with the quality or effectiveness of the events.”

Also cited are the name and label for the brewery’s Mi’Chella chavela drink and the label for its Blonde Ale beer, which includes a guitar and musical notes.

The complaint was filed after the festival's attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter to the brewery on Jan. 10. According to the complaint, the brewery responded to the letter by saying it would deal with the issues but instead has continued to advertise new events using the disputed branding. The festival's attorneys also said its representatives had expressed concern about the alleged trademark infringement during several previous interactions with brewery representatives.

Festival has sued in the past over trademark infringement

The festival's owner, Goldenvoice, has a lengthy history of taking legal action when it believes its Coachella trademarks have been infringed.

In 2022, Goldenvoice settled a lawsuit with the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians over the “Coachella Day One 22” music festival event the tribe had put on earlier that year.  Goldenvoice also has sued the organizers of a small outdoor film festival planned for Joshua Tree in 2017 and the owners of the Coachillin business park near Desert Hot Springs. It even made legal threats against Whole Foods and rapper Sean Combs over their planned use of the terms Wholechella and Combschella, respectively, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A filing in the new lawsuit against the brewery notes that the group behind the festival “expends substantial effort and expense” to protect its trademarks.

The complaint states that the festival owners have trademarked, among other things, its stylized all-caps “Coachella” logo and the names “Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival” and “Chella" and several associated logos, wordmarks and other elements.

The brewery also has trademarked the brewery logo and MiChella logos. However, the festival owners' complaint argues those trademarks should not have been granted because the brewery indicated when it applied for the trademarks that they would used on products sold across state lines, but the company’s products are only sold in California.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella festival sues local brewery, alleging trademark infringement