Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Could Lose Rights to Wrexham Trademark in US as Brewing Firm Attempts Take Name

(Photo: Press Association via AP Images)

The famous Wrexham Association Football Club owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, could be in danger of losing the right to use the name Wrexham for beer in the US. On Sept. 27 Master Brew Ventures LLC applied to trademark Wrexham for beer, ale and lager. The Pennsylvania-based brewing firm may be looking to cash in on the name’s rise to fame.

Currently, Reynolds and McElhenney have trademarked several names with the UK Intellectual Property Office through their holding company R.R. McReynolds for a line of soccer-themed lagers, including It’s Always Sunny in Wrexham, R&R Lager and Max Effort Lager. Master Brew Ventures LLC filed its application for the Wrexham trademark in the US, possibly in an attempt to get ahead of the celebrities in their emerging beer venture. 

In the US and UK, the Deadpool actor and his partner also copyrighted the Wrexham club branding for merchandise such as “Wrexham FC 1864,” “Wrexham FC,” “Wrexham is the Name” and “Wrexham FC 1864.”

Currently, there is also an application for “Welcome to Wrexham” at the US Patent and Trademark Office which will have protection in the UK granted by the Intellectual Property Office for the next ten years.

The “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” creator and Reynolds bought the football club in 2020. The soccer team has found fame and success with its new owners. Despite being hard at work trademarking Wrexham in the US and UK, it appears the duo may have overlooked the rights to Wrexham in the US when it comes to beer specifically. 

The Wrexham owners have both been in the alcohol business and it’s possibly a little odd they didn’t trademark the football club’s name in association with beer in the US as they did in the UK. Reynolds sold his American Aviation Gin to Diageo in 2020 for £500 million (over $600 million). Then to celebrate their new ownership of Wrexham Reynold and McElhenney released a limited-edition Aviation American Gin x Wrexham Association Football Club bottle. More recently, McElhenney and his fellow “It’s Always Sunny” co-stars Glen Howerton and Charlie Day launched Four Walls whisky in 2022. 

Master Brew Ventures LLC is likely attempting a practice known as trademark squatting to force the celebrity pair to purchase the right to use the name. However, it’s unclear if the beer firm will produce any beers under this name. With no prior association with the name, it may be difficult to retain this claim. 

If the battle goes to court the beer firm would be arguably hard-pressed to defend its claim to the trademark. The bold move from Master Brew Ventures LLC could possibly even backfire, ending with Reynolds and McElhenney solidifying rights to the name with grounds to sue the beer firm.

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