LABATT ON THIN ICE? LEGAL TROUBLES OVER ICE BREWS MOUNT

     A federal jury in St. Louis began Wednesday trying to sort
out "the icy claims" of Anheuser-Busch and Labatt Breweries.
Labatt claims A-B "toyed with it over a licensing agreement to
produce ice beer while working secretly to roll out its own
version." A-B says Labatt "used to deceptive advertising"
claiming Labatt was the inventor of ice beers.  A-B is seeking
$13.5M in damages from Labatt;  Labatt wants a jury to award
itself $61M, "representing what it says is triple the amount of
money it lost as a result of A-B's introduction of its own ice
beers" (Tim Bryant, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/9).  Labatt is
currently "locked in a string of other legal battles in various
North American courts over ice beer" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/9).