te rumbles on. In the latest leg of the century-old battle, a court in Portugal has ruled that the Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar will have the exclusive rights to the Budweiser trademark in the country, voiding the rights previously held by Anheuser-Busch InBev.State-owned Budejovicky Budvar has been in the midst of a legal battle with Anheuser-Busch for over one hundred years regarding the use of the Budweiser name. The legal battle continued when Anheuser-Busch was taken over by Belgium’s InBev in 2008 to create the world’s largest brewer.
In a statement Wednesday, Budvar says the Lisbon court banned AB InBev from selling any beer under the name Budweiser. It gave Budvar the sole rights to the Budweiser trademark in Portugal.
AB InBev spokeswoman Karen Couck told the Associated Press in an email the ruling has not affected the sales of its beer “under the established Bud brand in Portugal.”
"This judgment after many years gives legal certainty and guarantee exclusivity to the brand and thus the conditions for further development of our business in this country," Petr Samec, Budvar spokesperson told Czech media outlet Parliament Nilisty.
Lawsuits between the two companies have been ongoing since 1907. Overall, Budvar has won around 70% of all cases. Betwee 2000-2012, there were 173 lawsuits completed between the two brewers. Budvar won 120 cases, AB InBev won 43, and 10 were settled outside of court.
