- Yellowstone inventor Taylor Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas against Free Rein, Cole Hauser’s coffee company
- She accuses Free Rein of “false advertising” and “unfair competition.”
- The lawsuit alleges that Free Rein “uses a mark that is strikingly similar to Bosque Ranch’s registered mark and has the potential to mislead consumers.”
As fans wait for the second half of Yellowstone’s final season to debut next year, legal drama has begun between the show’s creator and one of its stars.
Bosque Ranch, a sprawling business empire founded by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, has filed a lawsuit against Free Rein, the coffee company owned by Yellowstone star Cole Hauser.
According to San Angelo Live, Free Rein is accused of “unfair competition and false advertising” in the trademark infringement lawsuit filed November 21 in the Northern District of Texas.
Bosque Ranch, which also has a coffee line, claims that Free Rein “uses a trademark that is strikingly similar to Bosque Ranch’s registered trademark and has the potential to mislead consumers.”
Bosque Ranch’s trademark includes the letters B and R like a cattle brand, while Free Rein also includes the letters F and R.
This latest drama between the Yellowstone mastermind and one of his stars follows Sheridan’s highly publicized feud with Kevin Costner, who plays the Dutton family patriarch John Dutton.
The core of their dispute was said to be Costner’s desire to reduce his workload for the fifth – and final – season. For his part, Sheridan said he was disappointed by Costner’s decision to limit his work on the show, but insisted that the two had a good relationship, but insiders also pointed to Sheridan’s big ego after his major film and television successes.
Yellowstone star Cole Hauser’s coffee brand Free Rein combines the letters F and R like a cattle brand (see Hauser above). His Yellowstone creator, showrunner and co-star Taylor Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch trademark consists of the letters B and R
Sheridan’s extensive Bosque Ranch business empire also features a selection of coffee (see packaging above). The company claims that Free Rein “uses a trademark that is strikingly similar to Bosque Ranch’s registered trademark and has the potential to mislead consumers.”
Creator: As fans wait for the second half of Yellowstone’s final season to debut next year, legal drama has begun between series creator Taylor Sheridan (left) and one of its stars, Cole Hauser (right).
The lawsuit alleges that Bosque Ranch has used the intertwined B/R trademark since 2004 and secured federal registrations in 2020.
Bosque Ranch launched its Craft Coffee brand in June. Hauser converted the San Angelo, Texas-based Longhorn Coffee brand to Free Rein in August.
In October, the company launched its first coffee brands with the F/R logo. Bosque claims Free Rein did this without her authorization.
The lawsuit alleges that the two similar brands would cause “consumer confusion” because both Sheridan and Hauser are affiliated with Yellowstone and both actively promote their brands.
Bosque Ranch is seeking “permanent injunctive relief, damages, and profits from the defendants under both the Lanham Act and Texas law for the alleged violation.”
Bosque Ranch launched its Craft Coffee brand in June. Hauser converted the San Angelo, Texas-based Longhorn Coffee brand to Free Rein in August. In October, the company launched its first coffee brands with the F/R logo. Bosque claims Free Rein did this without her authorization
Hauser plays Rip Wheeler on Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone,” a series staple since its premiere in 2018.
Rip Wheeler is a ranch hand at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, run by Kevin Costner’s character John Dutton.
He is also married to Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), John and the only daughter of the late Evelyn Dutton (Gretchen Mol) on the show.
The lawsuit news comes just over a month after Paramount confirmed that the final episodes of the series would be released in November 2024.
This came just months after it was announced that the 68-year-old lead actor would be leaving the series in the first half of season five.
The studio also softened the blow for fans of Yellowstone, whose popularity skyrocketed since episodes began airing on CBS. The channel announced two spin-off series, one titled 1944 and the other is a contemporary series currently titled 2024.