New York alcohol beverage producers, wholesalers and retailers take note: there may be some changes coming your way. Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the creation of an industry working group to recommend revisions to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Laws. The group, to be headed up by NY State Liquor Authority Chairman Vincent Bradley, is […]
The New York State Liquor Authority is considering adopting an advisory regarding trademark licensing agreements between retailers and alcohol beverage producers. If adopted, the advisory would prohibit certain trademark licensing agreements between retailers and suppliers (i.e., producers and wholesaler) that involve a licensing fee based upon a percentage of sales or that otherwise “correlate[s] with sales.” According […]
During last week’s Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, DP&F attorney John Trinidad moderated a panel discussion titled, “Regulatory Hurdles for DTC, Social Media, and Third Party Sales Channels.” Trinidad led off the session with a presentation describing how the Internet has “disrupted” the wine industry’s traditional sales and marketing models. You can access Trinidad’s PowerPoint presentation by clicking on […]
On January 23, the New York State Liquor Authority is scheduled to hold a hearing to determine if retailer Empire Wine & Spirits (“Empire”) engaged in “improper conduct” that warrants the suspension, cancellation or revocation of the retailer’s New York liquor license. According to the SLA’s Notice of Pleading, Empire allegedly shipped wine to consumers […]
Nine years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a New York law that discriminated against out of state wineries violated the Commerce Clause, and rejected arguments that the 21st Amendment protected such laws from constitutional scrutiny. New York now finds itself at the center of yet another Commerce Clause/ 21st Amendment controversy pitting Empire Wine & Spirits LLC, […]