Every story has two sides, and the tale of Magic Hat vs. West Sixth is no different. In a release on Monday, West Sixth Brewing Co of Lexington KY stated that they were asked by Magic Hat to change their logo as they felt it was too similar to their #9 branding. West Sixth says that Magic Hat claims said logo was intentionally copied, that Magic Hat suffered irrepairable harm, and asked for damages and all profits made off of the logo. West Sixth then urged consumers to support their petition against Magic Hat, stop buying their products, and asked for legal assistance.
Then, Magic Hat released a response statement stating that they were blindsided by the social campaign against them as West Sixth has continually reassured them that their branding would be changed. Ryan Daley, brand manager of Magic Hat said “West Sixth Brewing packaged the “perfect story” of a large brewery beating up on a small start-up. The only problem is: it’s not true.” They go on to state that distributors in Ohio and South Carolina refused to carry West Sixth as it too closely resembled the Magic Hat #9 that they already carried. They continue to claim that West Sixth agreed to change their branding, but has now decided to change their minds and personally attack the brand as a whole. For those interested, official legal communication between the two breweries can be found here.
As it currently stands, West Sixth says they would like to reach a settlement between the two, proposed a few new logos, and even offered to enjoy some beers with Magic Hat. The public, however, has taken their own stance. As of this morning Magic Hat’s Wikipedia page has been locked down as a user changed the content in an attempt to harm the reputation of Magic Hat. The petition mentioned by West Sixth currently has over 11,000 signatures. Plus, there’s plenty of heated discussion happening via Facebook and Twitter with many comparing the situation to David and Goliath.
Here’s a nice West Sixth t-shirt for sale if you’re a collector:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161032704825