The Czech brewer, Budejovicky Budvar, has claimed victory in a legal battle with US brewer, Anheuser-Busch (A-B), in Spain over the rights to the Budejovicky Budvar trade name. The company said that the Spanish High Court in Madrid had upheld the Czech company’s rights to use the Budejovicky Budvar trademark in the country.
According to reports, A-B had petitioned for the Czech brewer to be prevented from using the name, arguing the name is too similar to its own flagship brand, Budweiser. Budejovicky Budvar said the decision overturned a previous ruling by the Spanish patent office to reject Budvar’s two requests to register the name in the country.
Budvar has said that it views Spain as an important and growing market for its products. At this stage, it is not clear whether Anheuser-Busch can appeal the decision.
The news follows the announcement by Budvar earlier this week that it had won a similar case against A-B in Taiwan.
