Budvar Praises Ruling In Anheuser-Busch Case

Czech brewery, which has been fighting a long legal battle with Anheuser-Busch over the Budweiser brand, says it won the latest round in Bulgaria.

PRAGUE (AP) -- State-owned Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar, which has been fighting a long legal battle with U.S. beer giant Anheuser-Busch over the Budweiser brand, says it has won the latest round in Bulgaria.

Budvar says a city court in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, has rejected a legal challenge by Anheuser-Busch that wanted it to cancel the right of Budvar to use "Bud" as a protected geographic indication of origin.

As a result, Budvar said Thursday, Anheuser-Busch withdrew its appeal of a court ruling that ordered the cancellation of two registered trademarks held by Anheuser-Busch, "Bud" and "American Bud."

Budvar says the legal battle in Bulgaria is not over yet because it is still seeking the cancellation of other Anheuser-Busch's trademarks there, such as "Anheuser-Busch Bud."

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