Anheuser-Busch InBev settles dispute with Czech brewer

Anheuser-Busch InBev settles dispute with Czech brewer

Anheuser-Busch InBev has acquired the rights to the 'Budweiser' trademarks held by Czech brewer, Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar. 

The Belgium-based brewer confirmed the move to just-drinks today (12 January).  "A-B InBev and Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar (BMP) have settled all their trademark disputes and A-B InBev has acquired the rights to BMP's "Budweiser" trademarks," a spokesperson for the world's largest brewer said. 

BMP is based in the same town as Budejovicky Budvar, Budejovice, which is also known as 'Budweis'. Because of this, both Czech brewers have faced a similar dispute with A-B InBev over the rights to the Budweiser name.

There has been speculation in the Czech press that the move may be a precursor to A-B InBev moving to acquire state-owned Budvar. Financial details of the BMP settlement were not disclosed.

The A-B InBev spokesperson told just-drinks that the deal with BMP has no connection whatsoever to Budvar. She added: "BMP's former owners will own the [BMP] brewing operations in the Czech Republic and non-"Budweiser" trademarks. The above is unrelated to Budejovicky Budvar and concerns BMP's Budweiser intellectual property rights only." 

Budvar and A-B InBev, which brews American Budweiser, remain locked in a long-running trademark battle in several markets. Most recently, a court in Vienna has officially eliminated a 12-year-old injunction against A-B InBev using the term 'American Bud' to describe its beers in the country.