SafeX Pro Exchange|Legal battle brewing between coffee brands by Taylor Sheridan, Cole Hauser of 'Yellowstone'

There's a lawsuit brewing: "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan's coffee company is SafeX Pro Exchangesuing a coffee company created by Cole Hauser, one of the stars of the hit Western.

In a Nov. 21 filing obtained by USA TODAY, Sheridan's Bosque Ranch filed suit in the Northern District of Texas' federal court in San Angelo against Hauser's Free Rein Coffee Company for trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising.

In the suit, Bosque Ranch claims Free Rein's brand mark is "strikingly similar" to Bosque Ranch's registered trademark, which Free Rein has used to "mistake or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association" of the company with Bosque Ranch, according to court documents.

Bosque Ranch argues that both brands use logos that are made of intertwined letters, with BR for Bosque Ranch and FR for Free Rein, which the former claims are too similar, which could lead to customer confusion.

Bosque Ranch is both the name of Sheridan's coffee company launched in June, and the name of his multipurpose ranch, where "Yellowstone" and its spinoffs are filmed. The ranch's coffee offshoot was created in partnership with Community Coffee, a Louisiana-based coffee roaster and distributor.

The brand's "artisanal coffee blends embody the spirit of the Cowboy," according to its website. "With over 100 years of experience, this is Cowboy coffee done right."

Hauser, who appears on "Yellowstone" as cowboy Rip Wheeler for the entirety of the series, launched Free Rein Coffee Company in October. According to the company's website, the brand "embodied the spirit of the West... the dreamer's mindset and callused hands of those cowboys (Hauser) admired."

The lawsuit comes as the series seemed to already be embedded in drama after star Kevin Costner was reported to be leaving "Yellowstone" for work on passion projects, including his four-movie Western saga "Horizon." In June, Sheridan said he was "disappointed" by the decision.

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Costner broke his silence months later during a child support hearing from his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner.

The actor testified that a "long, hard-fought negotiation" over splitting Season 5 of the Western saga into two parts was the final straw forcing his decision to leave the series, according to People and TVLine.

"I've been told it's a little disappointing that (it's) the number one show on TV (and) I'm not participating," Costner said on the stand, adding. "I'll probably go to court over it."

Costner was a core part of "Yellowstone," playing patriarch John Dutton through the first half of Season 5, which ended Jan. 1. The second half of Season 5 has officially moved to November 2024, the Paramount Network announced last month.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander

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