Decisions favor A-B

Decisions favor A-B

	Published : Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:24 By : Agencies Print this Story

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Courts in Hungary and Egypt have sided with Anheuser-Busch in a century-old battle with a Czech brewer over the Budweiser name, Anheuser-Busch officials said Thursday.

The Hungarian Supreme Court canceled Budejovicky Budvar's appellation of origin for 'Bud.' An appellation of origin is an indication that the beer was brewed in a specific geographic location.

Anheuser-Busch said the ruling paves the way for the American beer-maker to obtain a trademark registration for Bud in Hungary. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the Cairo Court of First Instance granted Anheuser-Busch's request to cancel Budvar's trademark for Budweiser Budvar.

The Hungarian court rejected the Czech brewer's appeal of earlier rulings, agreeing the term 'Bud' was not geographical and was not a reference to the city where Budejovicky Budvar is based, Ceske Budejovice.

'The ability to sell our flagship brand under the Bud name in Hungary postively will impact our business in this growing European beer market,' said Tom Santel, president and chief executive officer for Anheuser-Busch International Inc.

The ruling means that Anheuser-Busch has the rights to use the terms 'Bud' or 'Budweiser' in 23 of 27 countries in the European Union. Just last month, an Italian appeals court ruled in Anheuser-Busch's favor, ordering cancellation of three registered trademarks held by Budvar.

In Egypt, Anheuser-Busch has owned the rights to the Budweiser trademark since 1940, the company said.

The announcement came after working hours in the Czech Republic. Budejovicky Budvar did not respond to an interview request.

Budejovicky Budvar was founded in 1895 in Ceske Budejovice -- called Budweis by the German-speaking people that populated the area at the time. Beer has been brewed there since 1265.

The founders of Anheuser-Busch used the name Budweiser for their product because it was well-known in their German homeland. The St. Louis brewery got its start in 1852. It began producing Budweiser, America's first national beer brand, in 1876.

Today, Budweiser is America's best-selling full-calorie beer, and Bud Light is the top seller among light beers.