CALGARY -- The Tragically Hip has filed a lawsuit against Toronto-based Mill Street Brewery for using the name of one of the band's songs, 'At the Hundredth Meridian,' to brand and promote one of its beer.
In the statement of claim which was filed in an Ontario court on Tuesday, Tragically Hip Inc. alleges that “Mill Street has engaged in the course of conduct to, unilaterally and without permission, ride on the coattails of one of the most beloved bands in Canadian music history.”
The brewery has been marketing one of its beers as 100 Meridian Amber Lager.
"Many of you are probably under the impression that we are associated with Mill Street's 100th Meridian beer we are not," the band said in a statement.
"We knew there is some confusion out there, but we didn’t know how much until recently. It turns out that Mill Street Brewery has used our band name, our albums, and even Gord Downie’s picture on their social media in connection with their 100th Meridian beer."
The band also shared screenshots of the ways they say Mill Street 'market their beer' which includes the TragicallyHip.
The band says they have tried to sort it out with Mill Street but were frustrated at the brewery’s response to their concerns.
"We tried to sort it out with Mill Street for months but were unsuccessful," the band's statement read.
"They didn't take us seriously and were frankly disrespectful. We have been around for a long time and have always been able to work things like this out without a lawsuit."
