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Thursday, November 16, 2006

China: Two Budweisers Are Better Than One


China's High People's Court has issued a ruling that puts a new twist on the running legal battle between Budejovicky Budvar NP of the Czech Republic and Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. of the United States. Basically the Court, by rejecting an appeal by A-B, is allowing both companies to use the Budweiser brand in China.

The Chinese court ruled that Budvar's trademark cannot be confused with Anheuser-Busch's trademark. Now both companies have legally registered brands in China using the Budweiser name. Budvar and A-B have fought in courts around the world over the trademark. Both companies have won various legal rulings. In the U.S., Budvar's Budweiser is sold as Czechvar. In some locations around the world A-B's Budweiser is sold as Bud.

Budvar now plans to enter the fast growing Chinese beer market, where A-B has been selling beer since 1995.

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