Budvar Secures Equal Rights to Budweiser Trademark in Britain

PRAGUE -- A British court has rejected for good brewery Anheuser-Busch's (BUD) request to block rival Budvar from selling its beer under the Budweiser trademark in the country, the latest ruling in a long legal battle over the brand name.

Britain's Supreme Court confirmed Tuesday that it rejected on Jan. 8 a request by Anheuser-Busch to overturn a ruling by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal had said Budejovicky Budvar NP should keep the right to the name.

The ruling means that unlike other markets, Anheuser-Busch and Budvar can both continue to use the Budweiser trademark in Britain. Both brewers were granted the right to use it in 2000.

Budvar, a state-owned Czech company, said Tuesday that Anheuser-Busch, which is owned by Belgium's AB Inbev, cannot appeal the latest verdict.