Czech Brewer Claims Victory in Ongoing Budweiser Trademark Dispute

For over 100 years, Anheuser-Busch InBev (originally the American brewer but now Belgian-owned) and Czech-beer brewer Budejovicky Budvar NP have been battling over the right to use the name Budweiser. In the latest decision in a number of worldwide disputes, Budvar has won the exclusive right to use the mark in Italy, and Anheuser-Busch will begin marketing its beer as Bud in that country by the end of the year.In the latest installment in a legal battle that his been ongoing for 100 years, the Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar NP has claimed a victory this week over Anheuser-Busch InBev in Italy. An Italian high court has ruled that Anheuser-Busch’s use of the Budweiser brand is deceptive, removed it from the trademark register, and will allow Budvar to return to the Italian market. In 2002, when forced by related litigation to change its branding in Italy, Budvar began marketing its product in Italy as Czechvar. Budvar’s sales then plummeted in Italy by 50% in what had previously been its fifth most profitable market. The trademark battle between the companies goes back over a century. Budvar was founded in 1895 in the city of Ceske Budejovice in what is now the Czech Republic. The city, at the time, was called Budweis, with beer brewing dating in that location to the 13th century. Budvar began marketing its beer as Budweiser Bier, and has been doing so since that time. The Budvar website now claims that its use of Budweiser indicates the geographic location of the brewing, and Budvar functions as a trade name. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch, which is brewed in the United States, began marketing its beer as Budweiser in the United States and Canada in 1896.

Due to this ruling, Anheuser-Busch will now market is product as Bud in Italy, as it already markets the beer in France, Russia, and the Ukraine, also due the ongoing litigation between the parties. The Budvar website claims that there are about 40 trademark disputes pending between the parties worldwide, with as many as 70 procedural matters at issue.

Sources: http://cir.ca/news/czech-brewer-disputes-budweiser-trademark http://www.budweiserbudvar.co.uk/history/budweiser/

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