While we’ve all been waiting (basically patiently) for Outlander Season 6 to finally arrive on our screens, star Sam Heughan has been quite busy. Aside from being able to actually get to work on the new season (and finishing it), Heughan has been involved in a number of side projects. One of those is his own blended Scotch whisky brand, The Sassenach, which he’s been promoting in a number of ways, including driving around the U.S. coast in a truck with his face on it. Now, though, it looks like there’s gonna be a Droughtlander for his whisky, after Heughan lost a lawsuit over it.
Why Was Sam Heughan Sued Over His Whisky?
Fans of Outlander will, of course, recognize the term “Sassenach” as one used by Sam Heughan’s Jamie Fraser as a term of endearment for his wife, Claire, during many of their scenes. But, even though it’s a well known term among fans, Heughan’s gotten into a bit of a dust-up over calling his whisky (which is the correct spelling for the adult beverage in Scotland, Canada, and Japan) that in Germany. According to The Drinks Business, after The Sassenach was released in that country last and he tried to trademark it, Heughan’s company was sued by the Sasse distillery over the name, and he’s now lost that suit, and won’t be able to sell his whisky in the country under its current name.
The German distillery, which has been around for hundreds of years, filed the suit back in February, claiming that The Sassenach name was too close to its own, and could easily be confused for a product that was coming from the German company, and the distillery wanted to “protect the traditional brand.” Heughan’s legal team argued that Outlander is very popular in Germany, and that because of that there would be no confusing the brand with something from the Sasse, but representatives from the distillery noted that there was no way to prove that consumers looking for products from them would be familiar with the Starz series or the word “Sassenach.”
What Happens To Sam Heughan's Whisky Now?
The European Union Intellectual Property Office agreed with the distillery, and said that Heughan can’t trademark his whisky as The Sassenach or sell it under that name in Germany. His team did appeal the decision, but he’s also now lost that appeal, though he will be able to sell in Germany if he changes the name.
It’s not clear if The Sassenach was taken off of German shelves once the lawsuit was filed, but it now seems that if any Outlander fans in the country want to indulge in the brand as Heughan intended, they should get their hands on it before it’s rebranded. While I’m sure the actor is unhappy about the decision, especially since the name he chose speaks to both his own heritage and his work on the ever-popular time-traveling romance, at least he has plenty of other things to keep him busy.
Maybe now would be a good time for Sam Heughan to work out really hard and post some new exercise shots on Instagram as he thinks over a new name for his whisky. Yeah...yeah, I think that would help everyone.
Outlander will return on March 6, 2022, but you can check out the other upcoming romantic TV shows, as well as see what else will be on television in the new year with our guide to the 2022 TV schedule!
