Most American beer drinkers know that the quintessential American macro-brew, Budweiser, has been locked for years in an international trademark battle with Budejovicky Budvar over the Budweiser name.
The Czechs always held the moral high ground in this dispute, since the Czech brewer located in the town of Budvar (or, in the German, Budweis - hence the name). How, the Czechs ask, can this American import be allowed to co-opt our hometown name?
Interesting side note: in the U.S., Budejovicky Budvar wouldn't be able to register the trademark "Budweiser" on that basis alone - marks that primarily identify the geographical location where the product originates are not registrable - see, e.g., the Boston Beer Company and California Pizza Kitchen.
Now, Reuters is reporting that Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Belgian-based mega-brewing conglomerate that makes Budweiser in the U.S., has purchased the Czech brewery Samson, which is also located in Budvar.
The implications are staggering. Or maybe not. Anyway, we'll have to wait and see what happens next.
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