LOL you can use the words "beer" and "brewing" all you want. Just not the company name or logo. Replace or remove them, and the rest of the design is free to be used in your portfolio as you please. Since they didn't buy the rights, you own the design copyright. If he still complains, tell him you're honoring and respecting his trademarks, that general words like beer and brewing cannot be trademarked legally, and you would appreciate if he would kindly return the favor by respecting your copyright to the design, especially considering that you essentially did this mockup on spec by their request as they posted the contest. I'm in the middle of running a logo contest now here on TF. I can understand if someone used a design I didn't choose and made it sound like it was used by me or said I was a client, but I would never ask them to remove it from their portfolio. I don't even see any harm in letting them keep the name there, unless it were entirely shoddy work, which none of the particular submissions have been. It just sounds like the guy is being a bit overprotective of some rights he doesn't even have. Nice try though, trying to say he owns the trademark for "beer." That's a riot!