MillerCoors Sues Former Executives for Embezzlement
In a lawsuit filed in Milwaukee County Circuit court, beer giant MillerCoors has accused two former marketing executives of embezzling more than $10 million over the last 13 years.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, MillerCoors alleges that David Colletti and Paul Edwards conspired with a dozen people and 15 companies to file invoices for undelivered services in which the individuals would split the pay.
“The lawsuit lists claims of civil theft, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty as to Colletti and Edwards, unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy and racketeering, and seeks unspecified damages and costs,” the article adds.
According to the suit, the defendants have been uncooperative with the company’s investigation.
Dark Horse Co-Owner Passes Away
Bill “Wacky” Morse, co-owner of Marshall, Michigan’s Dark Horse Brewing, has passed away at the age of 68.
Aaron Morse, Bill’s son and the brewery’s founder, took to Facebook to share a tribute to his father, excerpted in part:
“Throughout the years he was like a father not only to just me and my brother, but to countless friends and employees. He was a person that if you meant [sic] him once, you never forgot him.
He taught me more things about life then [sic] he will never know, he taught me to be a business man, to give to others when you may have a little more, importance of family, and one of the biggest things -that nothing in life comes for free, to work hard for the things you want. He was by far one of the hardest workers I’ve ever known and he deserved everything he got throughout his life and more. For all of this and countless other reasons I am proud and privileged to call him my father.”
As noted by Michigan Live, his passing came a mere 11 days after the death of Hongyu Boley, Aaron Morse’s sister-in-law, who died after sustaining injuries from being hit by a car.
Long Trail Sues Bent Paddle
Alleging that the hiker logo that Bent Paddle Brewing uses for its new Trail Series line of beers too closely resembles its own artwork, Vermont’s Long Trail Brewing has sued the brewery, which is based in Duluth, Minn., for trademark infringement.
Long Trail president Dan Fulham issued a statement to the Duluth News Tribune regarding the suit, stating that the company believes this to be a case of “clear infringement of our federally protected hiker logo.”
“The use (of) our trademarks or trade dress by another craft brewer is likely to confuse and mislead these consumers, and that cannot be tolerated,” he told the website.
Laura Mullen, vice president of Bent Paddle, told the website she couldn’t comment on the case, but there “might be news” this week about how the two sides are resolving the issue.
Bud Turns Facebook Into a Bar
Anheuser-Busch is in the trial phases of a program that would allow people to send vouchers to friends on Facebook for free Bud Light.
Currently only available in Denver and Chicago, voucher recipients will receive coupons to be used at participating bars and restaurants, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
The world’s biggest beer company is planning for the program to go nationwide next year, the article adds, giving Facebook users a sudsy alternative to merely “liking” a post.