Heineken Fires Back at AB InBev in Battle Over Beer Keg Rights

Heineken NV has struck back against Anheuser-Busch InBev as the brewing giants’ battle over recyclable beer dispensers escalates. Heineken, the world’s second largest beer brewer after AB InBev, retaliated against its competitor and filed a complaint Thursday with the International Trade Commission that seeks to block imports of products that use their patented dispensing line. In January, AB InBev claimed that Heineken copied its bag-in-bottle beer dispensers, infringed four U.S. patents, and had a policy to “copy and call it innovation.” Heineken has fired back, claiming that Ab InBev actually copied its dispensing line design that has been protected by a patent since 2004, when BeerTender, a dispenser that used a returnable keg with a beer-in-bag container, was first released.