South Korea: The Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar claimed victory on May 20 over beer giant Anheuser-Busch in the latest round of their global trademark dispute. South Korea's highest court upheld a previous court decision that Budvar can use the Budejovicky Budvar trademark in that country. The ruling also gave Budvar's trading company the right to use the name Budweiser Budvar, the Czech brewer said.

The court said the trademark and the name did not conflict with Anheuser-Busch's trademarks, according to Business Report. The verdict was final, said Budvar director Jiri Bocek. The two companies have been battling over Budweiser and other trade names for a century. Currently, they are involved in about 40 lawsuits worldwide.

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

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

Since 2001 Budvar has been exporting lager to the US under the name Czechvar.

21 May, 2004