A-B and Budvar both claim victory in Japan - Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc - Budejovicky Budvar

Modern Brewery Age, Feb 16, 2004

Anheuser-Busch claimed last week it has exclusive rights to the Budweiser trademark in Japan, despite statements made last week by rival Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar.

In those statements, the Czech brewery claimed victory over Anheuser-Busch in Japan, as Japan's highest court upheld the Czech company's rights for the Budejovicky Budvar trade name in that country,

Stephen Burrows, president and chief executive of A-B International, conceded that the Japanese court's action last week allows Budvar to continue using the Budejovicky Budvar trademark along with its trade name "Budweiser Budvar N.C.," which is used similar to Anheuser-Busch's name at the bottom of the label.

However, Burrows indicated that the Japanese court ruling was neither here nor there. "The Japanese Courts have recognized that our Budweiser trademark is, and has been for years, a well-known and famous trademark," said Burrows, in the statement. "The decision by the Supreme Court of Japan has no effect on Anheuser-Busch's ability to continue selling Budweiser in Japan."

For its part, Budejovicky Budvar said Japan's highest court had upheld Budvar's rights to the trade name in that country, and gave Budvar's trading company in Japan the right to use the name Budweiser Budvar N.C.

Budvar said that the ruling, which confirmed a previous decision of Japanese high court in 2003, is final.