AB-InBev suffers defeat in Budweiser trademark case

Budweiser brewer AB-InBev has suffered a defeat in its long running dispute over use of the name Budweiser with Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar.

Its bid to secure exclusive rights to the Budweiser name in the European Union was turned down by the European Court of Justice. Budvar hailed the decision as a "strategic victory" while AB-InBev said it would have no effect on its European business.

The trademark dispute has been rumbling on for years with 115 legal disputes between 2000 and 2009 — 82 in favour of Czech brewer Budvar. There are still 22 disputes in 14 countries that remain unresolved.

An AB-InBev spokesman said: "This judgment has no effect on Anheuser-Busch InBev's business in Europe or our existing Bud and Budweiser rights, which remain strong and intact. 

"We have rights to the Bud or Budweiser trademark in 23 of the 27 European Union member states. Filing this application was an effort to further expand our extensive trademark rights and gain additional protections that we continue to believe are rightfully ours."

Budweiser first used the name in 1875 in the USA and Budvar first used the brand in 1895.