The Yellowstone actor and showrunner Taylor Sheridan filed a lawsuit against Hauser’s recently launched coffee brand, “Free Rain,” on November 21 in the Northern District of Texas. Based on the record obtained by Fox Business, the case is one of “trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising.”
Sheridan’s company has filed a suit under the Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee brand against Free Rein.
The lawsuit has stated that “Neither Hauser nor the defendants asked or received permission or authorization from Sheridan or Bosque Ranch to use a mark confusingly similar to the BR Brand for virtually identical goods” while filling in the case of using a strikingly similar logo as Bosque Ranch. Taylor launched his coffee company earlier this year, and Hauser launched his company recently this year.
Sheridan sues Hauser for branding a similar logo for his coffee company.
According to the suit filed on November 21 by Sheridan’s company, Bosque Ranch, Hauser is accused of using a similar logo to Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee for his latest brand, Free Rein.
This strikingly similar logo of both the Stars coffee brands is referred to by the Bosque Ranch as a “mistake or deceitful act as to the affiliation, connection, or association” of the company” Bosque Ranch” by the “Free Rein,” as the court stated.
In reality, the logos of both branches are nearly identical because the alphabets of both companies’ logos are intertwined. Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch has a logo in which “B” and “R” intersect each other. On the other hand, Hauser’s Free Rain logo, which is represented with “F” and “R,” is also intertwined with each other; due to this, both logos look similar to each other.
The logo is not the only essence of similarity found in the brands. The advertising and branding of both brands also have the essence of being similar to each other. Bosque Ranch and Free Rain have both used the reflection of “Cowboy” in their brand advertisements.
Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee brand’s product is a coffee that embodies the spirit of the cowboy, and as per the official website, it states, “With over 100 years of experience, this is cowboy coffee done right.” Whereas the Free Rein brand describes itself on the website as a brand that embodies the spirit of the West.
Cole Hauser, who is well known for his role as a cowboy “Rip Wheeler” in Yellowstone, kept on promoting his Free Rein Coffee Company in October throughout the series. Therefore, it can be said that his brand’s advertising reflects his mindset and the callused hands of the cowboy that Hauser admires.
According to the sources, Bosque Ranch has been seeking a trial by jury and has requested the court permanently enjoin Free Rein from using the logo. Sheridan’s company has also demanded the destruction of Free Rein’s products, marketing materials, and promotional materials that bear the logo.
Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee and Free Rein
Bosque Ranch is a rolling hill located above the Brazos River. Sheridan’s business uses the ranch for other business; the Yellowstone and the spinoffs of the movie are also shot on the Bosque Ranch. Furthermore, Sheridan stated he has plans to expand the Bosque Ranch business for further business as well.
Earlier this year, Bosque Ranch, which has been operating Sheridan’s business for a long period of time, formed a partnership with Community Coffee for the branding process of Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee. The branding of the Bosque Ranch collaboration with Community Coffee’s “artisanal coffee blends embody the spirit of the Cowboy,” according to the website, is advertised as “With over 100 years of experience, this is Cowboy coffee done right.”
Hauser started promoting the launch of his Free Rein Coffee Company in the month of October. He stated that his formation of a coffee company is an inspiration from his own life; he said, “I’m also always on the road, and so you can imagine I get to try out a lot of new coffee around the country and the world.”
The actor also shared the moment when he received a bag of coffee from his business partner Karl, which was from a family-owned roastery in San Angelo, Texas (a cowboy country). That is when he got hooked on the idea, and then he got the idea of having a coffee company.
