CNN and Josh Gerben Discuss the Trademark Dispute between “Yellowstone” Creator and Star

Tyler Sheridan, creator of “Yellowstone” and owner of Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee, is suing Free Rein Coffee, owned by actor Cole Hauser. The lawsuit claims that the Free Rein logo is infringing on Bosque Ranch’s logo as they both consist of overlapping letters.

CNN discussed the merits of the case with trademark attorney Josh Gerben. 

Attorney Josh Gerben told CNN that trademark infringement cases are “typically very close calls and depend heavily on the evidence the parties are able to bring forth in trial.”

The outcome of this lawsuit will depend on whether the “average consumer might be confused into purchasing the Free Rein Coffee product when it was seeking to buy a Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee product,” he said.

“I do not consider this to be a slam-dunk case and think a decision would be a close call for any judge or jury,” Gerben said, who is not involved in the case.

As for a lawsuit between two co-workers, Gerben said it’s a “little surprising to see” since he thinks there was “clearly an opportunity for settlement discussions to take place.” Sheridan filing a federal lawsuit suggests the ranch felt that settlement discussions “were not obtaining the result it desired,” Gerben added.

Source: Valinsky, Jordan. https://www.cnn.com. “‘Yellowstone’ creator and actor battle over coffee company’s logo”. 7 December 2023.