Popular Atlanta brewery engaged in legal dispute with Molson Coors over ‘Monday Night’ trademark

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Monday Night Brewing in West Midtown is accusing beer giant Molson Coors of trademark infringement over its new “case of the Mondays” ad campaign.

Selling beers with unique names like Space Lettuce, Blind Pirate, and Dr. Robot might sound like a blast, but it’s work for cofounder and owner Joel Iverson.

“The reality is, it’s an incredibly difficult business,” Iverson said.

Iverson’s life has been even more difficult in recent weeks.

“So, a few weeks ago, my phone started blowing up,” he said.

Beer giant Molson Coors kicked off an ad campaign for Coors Light that bears a resemblance in name to Monday Night Brewing.

“Instead of doing ‘Monday Night’, they’re doing ‘Mondays Light’,” Iverson explained. “Two, a ‘case of the Mondays’, and that’s a little too close for comfort.”

The latter is named after the popular quote from the film “Office Space”, where the film’s protagonist is chastised by a coworker for his attitude.

Monday Night Brewing sent Molson Coors a cease-and-desist letter saying it owns the trademark on beer-context use of “Monday Night.”

Molson Coors didn’t respond to the letter until the day before the Super Bowl, denying they violated the trademark, saying in part the visuals involved in the campaign were markedly different and that “Monday” is a fair-use term. A commercial pushing the campaign aired during the Super Bowl.

“That’s a little bit of a gut punch,” Iverson said.

Atlanta News First has reached out to Molson Coors for comment and is awaiting a response.

Molson Coors is a massive company with nearly 18,000 employees. Iverson says it’s about one thousand times the size of Monday Night Brewing.

So, the brewery amplified its voice on Instagram, even including a photo of a “switched scenario” where Monday Night Brewing had used a Coors trademark.

“If the shoe was on the other foot, I guarantee they would have responded,” Iverson said.

He’s now mulling over the brewery’s options. File a lawsuit against one of the most powerful beverage companies on earth, or take the punch?

“Look, not only is there potential for this to hurt us in our current market, but there’s potential to hurt us as we go to other markets in the future,” Iverson said.

Whatever they decide, he’s still keeping Monday night every night.

“It’s a bit of a David against Goliath, especially in this competitive market,” Iverson said.

Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.