ROCKFORD - A trademark battle for the rights to Rockford Brewing Co. has broken out in U.S. District Court, where a local startup and a 2-year-old brewery in Michigan are both claiming ownership of the name.

Rockford Brewing Co., which anchors the Prairie Street Brewhouse at 200 Prairie St. where a $12 million mixed-use renovation is taking shape, sued the Michigan brewery on Jan. 13. It claims the name was first used in 1849 when John Peacock opened the "Rockford Brewery" on the shore of the Rock River, according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Rockford.

The filing came less than two months after lawyers representing the Michigan brewery sent a cease and desist letter to Dustin Koch and Reed Sjostrom, who run the local brewery, demanding that they stop using the Rockford Brewing Co. name.

Read the cease and desist order here.

The Michigan brewery said that it began using the name and logo marks in commerce at least as early as January 2012.

It said the use of the name by the local brewery on its website and Facebook page "are nearly identical and confusingly similar."

The lawsuit says "RBC-Illinois does not wish or plan to change its name and believes its use of 'Rockford Brewing Company' does not infringe any protectable interest or right of RBC-Michigan.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Magistrate Iain David Johnston. An initial hearing is set for Feb. 27.

Brian Leaf: 815-987-1343; bleaf@rrstar.com; @b_leaf