"Rated R" Trademark Not Fit for Beer

In 1987, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) filed for trademark protection on its rating system, seeking registration of the marks RATED G, RATED PG, RATED PG-13, and RATED R. This rating system was already strongly associated with the MPAA and variations of it had been used since the MPAA’s founding in 1922. The marks were granted without challenge, and relatively few litigations resulted. In 2014, Minneapolis-based brewery 612Brew sought registration of “Rated R” for its newest IPA beer and quickly came to the attention of the MPAA.

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In addition to Thriving Attorney, Darin M. Klemchuk is founder of Klemchuk LLP, a litigation, intellectual property, and transactional law firm located in Dallas, Texas.  He also co-founded Project K, a charity devoted to changing the world one random act of kindness at a time.  Click to read more about Darin Klemchuk's practice as an intellectual property lawyer.