Modelo Can’t Block Corona Seltzer as Jury Broadly Defines ‘Beer’

The Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV unit that makes Corona beer can’t block its US distributor’s sale of Corona Hard Seltzer because use of the “Corona” trademark was licensed, a federal jury found Wednesday.

CB Brand Strategies LLC successfully argued that its licensing agreement with ABI’s Cerveceria Modelo to sell Corona “beer” products incorporated hard seltzers at trial in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Modelo had argued their agreement specified a limited scope for the definition of “beer” and that hard seltzer couldn’t have been included because such products hadn’t yet been invented.

District Judge Lewis ...