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Disney's Lucasfilm wants brewery to change name of Star Wars-themed beer [Orlando Sentinel](Orlando Sentinel (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 23--Only at the bottom of an empty beer bottle do you realize the power of the Dark Side. Or something like that. Evidently, Disney-owed Lucasfilm has its blasters set to kill against a Syracuse, N.Y., brewery over the name of one of its Maibocks that it wants to market next year. According to CNYCentral.com, Empire Brewing Co. is preparing to trademark and sell one of its most popular beers and wants to call it "Strikes Bock." Get it? Empire's Strikes Bock. "Our Maibock is something we've been brewing for seven years. ... Our fans love it," Monica Palmer, marketing and design director of Empire Brewing Company is quoted as saying in the post. Well, the beer-drinking force may be with you, young upstart brewery, but when it comes to trademark action, you are far from the Jedi level occupied by Lucasfilm or Disney. Though the clone army at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office gave approval to the brewery to move forward, Disney's lawyers have contacted the brewery to file a so-called "Notice of Opposition" and ask then to not use the name for the beer, arguing that it will cause too much confusion for consumers, who might think it's a Disney/Star Wars-sanctioned brew, straight from the Dark Lords of the Sith's special brewery. The brewery has about 30 days to respond to Disney, and what their course of action will be is not so clear. Who knows, perhaps, with a wave of a Jedi master's hand, this will not be the legal action Disney lawyers are looking for. Still, representatives from the Syracuse brew pub that makes the drink say they want to fight back. Time will tell which side will have the power of the Force. ___ (c)2014 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |