Business Services Industry

European Court of Justice returns "Budweiser" case to Finland - report

Nordic Business Report, Nov 16, 2004

The European Court of Justice has reportedly decided to return questions about whether the name "Budweiser" could be used by two competing brewers, the US brewer Anheuser-Busch and the Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar, back to Finland's national court.

In the case that had been referred to the European Court from Finland's Supreme Court, Anheuser-Busch claimed that customers could confuse its own "Budweiser" trade mark with Budvar's use of the name, derived from its place of origin.

Budvar had reportedly countered that its trade name was registered and protected under international law.

"It is for the national court to examine whether the consumers targeted are likely to interpret the sign, as it is used by Budvar, as designating the undertaking from which the goods originate and, thus, as serving to distinguish the goods in question," the court said in a statement.

The ruling was the latest round in the century-long dispute between the companies, according to Reuters.

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