Anheuser-Busch InBev has applied for a federal trademark for "314" -- the area code for much of metropolitan St. Louis -- as well as for the telephone prefixes of 13 other U.S. cities.
Craft Business Daily, a subscription-only newsletter that covers the craft-beer industry, reported on the filings in today's edition, noting that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office received the applications from A-B on May 20.
Besides St. Louis' 314, other area codes that A-B is seeking trademarks for: 412 (Pittsburgh), 305 (Miami), 619 (San Diego), 202 (Washington, D.C.), 602 (Phoenix), 704 (Charlotte), 702 (Las Vegas), 214 (Dallas), 415 (San Francisco), 216 (Cleveland), 303 (Denver), 615 (Nashville) and 713 (Houston). You can view the documents for the http://tdr.uspto.gov/jsp/DocumentViewPage.jsp?85325993/FTK20110524202059/TEAS%20Plus%20New%20Application/2/20-May-2011/sn/false#p=1" target="_blank">314 filing here or by clicking the PDF file on the left side of this page.
It's unclear if this move will pave the way for A-B to develop city-specific beers in those locations. An email to a company spokesman seeking comment this afternoon was not immediately returned. Chicago-based brewery Goose Island, which http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/article_0c2d5e3a-594d-11e0-a313-00127992bc8b.html" target="_blank">A-B bought this year for $38.8 million, produces a wheat ale called http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/312_urban_wheat/16.php" target= "_blank">312, a nod to that city's area code.
