Budweiser Budvar

Bud stands for Budweiser?

Bud stands for Budweiser? Not any more, at least in EU

A Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar won a victory over American beer maker Anheuser-Busch, now a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, that owns well known all over the world beer brand Budweiser. A Luxembourg-based European Union high court has pronounced a decision that Anheuser has no right to use short name Bud in the EU countries, because the Czechs registered the name in France, Austria and Czechoslovakia as early as 1958.

This decision is just another step in the long-run dispute over this legendary name. Budweiser became the first national beer brand in the USA and was first brewed in 1876 in St Louis, Missouri. Eberhard Anheuser, the founder and one of two original owners of Anheuser-Busch established in 1852, chose this name for his beer brand, because it was familiar to German community and associated with town Budweis (Ceske Budejovice) where beer was brewed since 1265.

Budejovicky Budvar brewery was established in 1895 in Ceske Budejovice. Its most popular brand is Budweiser Budvar (or Budějovický Budvar), on North American market it is sold as Czechvar. Naturally, Budejovicky Budvar claims its right to use Bud name on account of its geographical origin. Now it won over Anheuser in the EU, but the latter can try now to register the trademark in each individual member state. So battle is not over.

Photo: by Zacatecnik (wikimedia.org)

Date: 17/12/2008