The Triumph of Community: How r/Beer Helped Defend My Patented Design

A few months ago, I shared an unsettling experience involving Blue Point Brewing, who allegedly copied my patented bottle opener design, known as the Bottlehook. Today, I’m thrilled to report that justice has prevailed, thanks in no small part to the incredible support from the r/Beer community.

My initial post was meant to raise awareness about an issue affecting a small company like mine. To my surprise, it resonated with many, and I quickly received an outpouring of responses urging for updates on this situation. I wanted to take my time with these updates, hoping for some good news worth sharing when the time came.

And now, I can happily announce that we’ve made great strides! As of this afternoon, we have successfully resolved our issues with Blue Point Brewing. We not only received restitution for the infringement but also managed to retrieve their stock of counterfeit Bottlehooks and even their casting mold that they used to create them.

In the days following my original post, the response was overwhelming. I received numerous photos of their imitation products being handed out, sold, and even reports from individuals close to their operations. The support from you all helped us compile a robust folder of evidence, which was invaluable in our case. This would have been a much more difficult fight without the contributions of this amazing community.

It seems likely that our online discussion caught the attention of Blue Point Brewing, though I can’t confirm this for certain. Shortly after my post, we received communication from them and a shipment containing everything they had agreed to — including a rather surprising haul of several hundred pounds of subpar imitation Bottlehooks.

I truly believe that this resolution is a testament to the power of community action, and I cannot express enough gratitude for the support you have shown. It’s a reminder of the strength we can find in numbers.

Many of you expressed interest in a discount code for one of our authentic Bottlehooks, and I want to clarify that this situation was never intended as a marketing ploy. That said, I do want to show my appreciation. Therefore, I’m offering a special 35% discount on Bottlehooks with the code “REDDIT” at checkout on our website.

Thank you again for all the encouragement and help along the way. You have made a significant difference, and I am proud