AB InBev Loses Budweiser Name Case
News: July 2010
AB InBev has suffered a major defeat in its bid to extend trademark rights to the name Budweiser in Europe.
Up to now, the Czech Budvar brewery has claimed the right to use the name in a number of European countries and now the European Court of Justice has upheld that position, quashing AB InBev’s bid to secure EU-wide trademark recognition.
The verdict means that AB InBev can still sell its beer in most of Europe under the Bud or Budweiser names, but that Budvar – based in the town of Ceské Budjovice (Budweis in German) – cannot be prevented from using the name Budweiser in countries where that already happens.
AB InBev has suffered a major defeat in its bid to extend trademark rights to the name Budweiser in Europe.
Up to now, the Czech Budvar brewery has claimed the right to use the name in a number of European countries and now the European Court of Justice has upheld that position, quashing AB InBev’s bid to secure EU-wide trademark recognition.
The verdict means that AB InBev can still sell its beer in most of Europe under the Bud or Budweiser names, but that Budvar – based in the town of Ceské Budjovice (Budweis in German) – cannot be prevented from using the name Budweiser in countries where that already happens.
