Weezer Sued Miller Brewing Co.

Rock group Weezer filed a lawsuit, Friday September 29th, against Miller Brewing Co., accusing the Milwaukee-based institution of using the name 'Weezer' in several ads that ran in Rolling Stone magazine in 2004. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, also names Miller's advertising agency and the production company that laid out the ads as defendants.

The band members, Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell, Scott Shriner and Patrick Wilson, claim Miller used the Weezer name in the ads without their permission. Further the suit mentions the ads feature endorsements by other bands and musical acts with whom Weezer "do not wish to be associated with in any advertisement." Worse, the ads were reportedly "grossly misleading and deceptive" and they have been "damaged in an amount ... believed to be in the millions of dollars."

Thus, Weezer is seeking actual damages; all profits received by Miller and fellow defendants from the ads in question; punitive damages amounting to three times either the actual damages or the defendants' profits, whichever is higher; and an injunction against any further use of the band's image.