A Savage legal fight | Paul O'Grady takes action against brewery infringing his trademark © BBC

A Savage legal fight

Paul O'Grady takes action against brewery infringing his trademark

Paul O’Grady has slammed a brewery for naming a beer after his alter-ego Lily Savage without permission.

The comic fired off a legal broadside to the Dead Crafty Beer Company after it produced a ‘red, glittery’ Bakewell Tart IPA called Savage, with promotional material carriying a caricature of Lily.

However, a legal letter fired off to the firm, based in O’Grady’s home town of Liverpool, pointed out that Lily Savage is a registered trademark and the firm didn’t have permission to use it.

The comedian told the Mirror: ‘I wouldn’t mind if this brewery showed me the courtesy by asking me if they could use the name, particularly when it comes to promoting alcohol.

‘I’d like to see this brewery bring out a lager named after Mickey Mouse. Disney would not only sue them, they’d close them down.’

O’Grady has trademarked the Lily Savage across a wide range of products, from scouring pads to shoelaces – with beer explicitly included.

The brewery  has now rebranded the beer Salvaged, and vowed that profits will go to an animal sanctuary

Brewery owner Vicky Morgan said she was shocked to receive the notice, saying they were ‘inspired by the character we loved’.

Published: 6 Apr 2022

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