Current:Home > InvestLegal battle brewing between coffee brands by Taylor Sheridan, Cole Hauser of 'Yellowstone' -FundTrack
Legal battle brewing between coffee brands by Taylor Sheridan, Cole Hauser of 'Yellowstone'
View
Date:2025-04-18 06:26:16
There's a lawsuit brewing: "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan's coffee company is suing a coffee company created by Cole Hauser, one of the stars of the hit Western.
In a Nov. 21 filing obtained by USA TODAY, Sheridan's Bosque Ranch filed suit in the Northern District of Texas' federal court in San Angelo against Hauser's Free Rein Coffee Company for trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising.
In the suit, Bosque Ranch claims Free Rein's brand mark is "strikingly similar" to Bosque Ranch's registered trademark, which Free Rein has used to "mistake or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association" of the company with Bosque Ranch, according to court documents.
Bosque Ranch argues that both brands use logos that are made of intertwined letters, with BR for Bosque Ranch and FR for Free Rein, which the former claims are too similar, which could lead to customer confusion.
Bosque Ranch is both the name of Sheridan's coffee company launched in June, and the name of his multipurpose ranch, where "Yellowstone" and its spinoffs are filmed. The ranch's coffee offshoot was created in partnership with Community Coffee, a Louisiana-based coffee roaster and distributor.
The brand's "artisanal coffee blends embody the spirit of the Cowboy," according to its website. "With over 100 years of experience, this is Cowboy coffee done right."
Hauser, who appears on "Yellowstone" as cowboy Rip Wheeler for the entirety of the series, launched Free Rein Coffee Company in October. According to the company's website, the brand "embodied the spirit of the West... the dreamer's mindset and callused hands of those cowboys (Hauser) admired."
The lawsuit comes as the series seemed to already be embedded in drama after star Kevin Costner was reported to be leaving "Yellowstone" for work on passion projects, including his four-movie Western saga "Horizon." In June, Sheridan said he was "disappointed" by the decision.
'Yellowstone' star Luke Grimestalks new 'Happiness for Beginners' movie, his 'angel' wife
Costner broke his silence months later during a child support hearing from his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner.
The actor testified that a "long, hard-fought negotiation" over splitting Season 5 of the Western saga into two parts was the final straw forcing his decision to leave the series, according to People and TVLine.
"I've been told it's a little disappointing that (it's) the number one show on TV (and) I'm not participating," Costner said on the stand, adding. "I'll probably go to court over it."
Costner was a core part of "Yellowstone," playing patriarch John Dutton through the first half of Season 5, which ended Jan. 1. The second half of Season 5 has officially moved to November 2024, the Paramount Network announced last month.
Contributing: Bryan Alexander
'Yellowstone'final episodes moved to Nov. 2024; Paramount announces two spinoff series
veryGood! (65)
Related
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Birthplace of the atomic bomb braces for its biggest mission since the top-secret Manhattan Project
- Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess Are Engaged
- Florida siblings, ages 10 and 11, stopped while driving mom’s car on freeway 200 miles from home
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Water restrictions in rainy Seattle? Dry conditions have 1.5M residents on asked to conserve
- Yemen’s southern leader renews calls for separate state at UN
- Florida siblings, ages 10 and 11, stopped while driving mom’s car on freeway 200 miles from home
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- Biden faces foreign policy trouble spots as he aims to highlight his experience on the global stage
Ranking
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Dead body, 13-foot alligator found in Florida waterway, officials say
- Summer 2023 ends: Hotter summers are coming and could bring outdoor work bans, bumpy roads
- NCAA, conferences could be forced into major NIL change as lawsuit granted class-action status
- Average rate on 30
- Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residents
- Phil Knight, Terrell Owens and more show out for Deion Sanders and Colorado
- An Iowa man who failed to show up for the guilty verdict at his murder trial has been arrested
Recommendation
Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
Vaccines are still tested with horseshoe crab blood. The industry is finally changing
Unpacking the Child Abuse Case Against YouTube Influencer Ruby Franke
Amazon Prime Video will cost you more starting in 2024 if you want to watch without ads
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
Booking a COVID-19 vaccine? Some are reporting canceled appointments or insurance issues
Oklahoma judge arrested in Austin, Texas, accused of shooting parked cars, rear-ending another
UNGA Briefing: There’s one more day to go after a break — but first, here’s what you missed