Anger Brews at Heineken Over Swiss 'Keineken' Beer
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Swiss police have seized 1,000 bottles of locally made "Keineken" beer after the Dutch beer giant Heineken NV complained its brand was being infringed.
The name "Keineken" appears to be a pun in German meaning "No Heineken."
Heineken spokesman Jeroen Breuer said Tuesday a judge in the Swiss canton of Obwalden ordered police to seize the brew after agreeing Keineken infringed the Heineken brand.
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Breuer said Heineken doesn't consider the size of its opponents when its brand is being misused.
"Whether the name is a joke or a way of getting publicity — those are questions for them to answer," he said.
A note on Keineken's Web site complains that foreign companies have "swallowed" all Switzerland's independent brewers.
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"Our name says it all: Keineken."