Portland Weighs Lawsuit Against Pabst

Portland city officials are considering a lawsuit against Pabst Brewing Company over the brewer’s use of the iconic downtown “Portland Oregon” sign to promote a music festival last year.

The City Council is scheduled to decide Wednesday whether to sue.

The city owns the trademark for the sign, which sits atop the White Stag building in Old Town. It shows a leaping stag at the top of an Oregon-shaped sign.

City officials say Pabst used a “confusingly similar” version of the sign to promote its music festival. The brewer replaced the stag with a unicorn and the words were changed to “Project Pabst.”

The Oregonian reports  that the city ordered Pabst to stop using the logo. According to city council documents, the company “did not respond favorably.”