German court to decide on rights to Duff beer

Germany can't get enough of that wonderful Duff, which is why the beer made famous by The Simpsons is at the centre of a row between two companies there that want the rights to use its name.

A German court will decide which of the two companies will be allowed to imitate the product, after the opinion of two lower courts failed to reach a decision.

English speaking German newspaper The Local reports that Judge Joachim Bornkamm opened proceedings by describing The Simpsons cartoon as a series where, "a certain Mr Homer Simpson appears; and this gentleman drinks."

The firm Duff Beer UG in Eschwege, Hessen, produces Duff Beer in bottles and cans, complete with a Simpsons style logo.

It then applied to get another Duff Beer logo registered by a different drinks company de-recognised by the trademark German authorities. It argued that the yellow and blue oval logo registered by a firm from Franken, had not been used on a beer, and its trademark status should thus be removed.

Franken disagreed. Hence the case.

In the US Twentieth Century Fox banned the imitation of the beer saying the show was conceived for children making it inappropriate.