Budweiser Loses A Round....

There's a temptation to think that giant companies always get their way, but not true. Case in point? Earlier this week, Anheuser-Busch lost a battle against Czechoslovakian brewer Budejovicky Budvar over the name "Budweiser."

A/B had applied with the EU trademark office for a trademark for the word Budweiser, which would have given them the exclusive right to use the brand name. Budejovicky Budvar, which is based in the Czech city of Ceske Budejovice (or "Budweis" in German, the name it has historically gone by), has been bottling beer under the brand name Budweiser since the 1870's. (While A/B likes to point out that they were established in 1860, both companies actually began using the brand name Budweiser in 1876.)

The legal battle had gone to the European Court of First Instance for a ruling. And the court decided that Budvar legitimately holds the European rights to the name. The court determined that Budvar had proven its case by showing that they had been using the name for at least five years before A/B had applied for a European trademark.

This legal fight has been going on for years. A/B has managed to block Budvar from using the brand name Budweiser in Finland, Spain, Denmark, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. The decision went the other way in the UK, and now the EU.

Score one for the "little guys." (OK, Budvar isn't really little, but you get the idea!)