Budweiser loses EU Court of Justice appeal
Anheuser-Busch has failed in its appeal to the European Court of Justice to register exclusive ownership of the Budweiser brand name throughout the EU.
The decision comes as a welcome relief to Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar which has the rights to use the name Budweiser in the German and Austrian beer markets.
A worldwide battle for supremacy in this copyright war between the two companies has been going on for many years with Anheuser-Busch beginning proceedings to register its brand across the EU in 1996.
The US-owned Budweiser and Bud Light brands are the world’s best-selling two beers and rights to use the name are owned by the company in 23 of the 27 EU countries. Here, Budweiser is brewed under licence by Diageo Ireland.
Budejovicky Budvar is sold uner the Budvar brand here and Czechvar in the US.
“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,” said Budweiser’s spokeswoman Marianne Amssoms.
