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FKP SOJUZPLODOIMPORT
has cut through a window to Asia UAE will drink Russian Vodka 15/05/2003 Yesterday
the Head of Federal State Enterprise FKP «SOJUZPLODOIMPORT» the
owner of trade marks Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya in Russian Federation
has announced beginning of vodka deliveries to United Arab Emirates. In
the middle of February FKP «SOJUZPLODOIMPORT» has already delivered
two containers of Moskovskaya to Holland, but this consignment was
arrested on demand of SPI group – the owner of trade marks Stolichnaya
and Moskovskaya abroad. But in UAE it will be much more difficult to
restrict the deliveries.
According
to Deputy General Director of FKP Sergey Kossyrev, the potential market
of UAE for Russian vodka makes up 10 (ten) thousand decalitre a year.
The consignee of the first batch of Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya
(according to representatives it is a question of several containers)
was firm AL Maidan Alco F.Z.E, the official distributor of «SOJUZPLODOIMPORT».
Mr. Kossyrev has noted that deliveries are carried out under special
permission by authorities of UAE and no problems similar to those in
Holland will arise. The matter is that the trade marks of 33-rd class
(alcoholic drinks) are not subject to registration on the territory of
some Arabic countries including UAE, on the ground of religious
restrictions on alcoholic drinks. Therefore SPI, which possesses rights
on Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya in the majority of western markets will
not be able to present any claim. But
SPI takes a different view. According to Andrey Skurikhin, one of
top managers of SPI, trade marks Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya are
registered in UAE on affiliated to SPI structures in similar classes –
32 (nonalcoholic drinks), 35 (advertising) and 42 (retail). On the basis
of these registrations SPI group will try to challenge the legality of
deliveries of vodka to UAE. Besides, Mr. Skurikhin has questioned
application of FKP management for the special permission by authorities
of UAE to deliver vodka. At this Mr. Skurikhin noted that the official
who issued a permission of this kind has broken the law. Nevertheless it
is quite obvious that SPI will not be able to take any effective steps
on restriction of deliveries. By
estimates of experts FKP deliveries of Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya will
hardly have any significant economic effect. For instance: total sales
of SPI on oversea markets make up 3 (three) million decalitre a year.
However, the very fact that FKP has started real real sales abroad may
be used by FKP lawyers as an additional argument during the future court
battles for the trade marks ownership abroad. Moreover one month ago
management of «SOJUZPLODOIMPIRT» has announced that apart from the
Dutch campaign they plan to take legal action against SPI in Austria.
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