Originally posted Jan. 17, 2004<br />
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Ceske, Budejovice, Czech Republic — It’s the battle of the Buds.<br />
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A nearly century-long trademark dispute is intensifying between Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., the world’s largest brewer, and tiny Czech producer Budejovicky Budvar. With both claiming they produce the only genuine Budweiser beer, they’ve taken their sudsy squabble to courts in 24 countries around the world.<br />
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Budvar won the latest round in South Korea, where a court ruled last month that the company’s name and trademark doesn’t conflict with Anheuser-Busch or infringe on its rights. But elsewhere, the fight continues.<br />
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Budejovicky Budvar was established in 1895 in Ceske Budejovice, called Budweis at the time by the German-speaking people who formed about 40 percent of the area’s population. Beer has been known here for centuries as Budweiser.<br />
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The founders of Anheuser-Busch used the name for their product because it was so well-known. The St. Louis-based brewer, founded in 1852, began producing Budweiser, America’s first national beer brand, in 1876.<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0116Bud-Battle-ON.html"><strong>AZcentral</strong></a>
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