EU: Whether Anheuser-Bush is to continue selling beer in Europe under the name Budweiser is not clear yet. According to an article of the Wall Street Journal published Thursday, November 18, The World Trade Organization ruled the European Union could not protect translated versions of local product names. However, a diplomat said the United States had been rebuffed on the particular aspect of the case centering on the beer brand Budweiser or Bud. "The Americans, who have been pressed by Anheuser-Busch to get the EU legislation condemned because it protects the Czech brand name, lost on this part of the dispute," the diplomat said.

The Czechs, defended by Brussels, say they have been brewing a beer under the name since the 13th century, although the American beer has gained broader international recognition in recent years.

Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, and state-owned Czech rival Budejovicky Budvar has battled for years over what to call their products in Europe.
European rules had granted Budvar considerable scope to claim rights to Budweiser and Bud as translations of its own product names.

The WTO's ruling on a case that started in 1999 is preliminary and has not been officially disclosed yet. The whole procedure until a final ruling will well extend into 2005.

21 November, 2004