EU Court Rejects AB InBev Bid To Protect Budweiser

"This was merely an effort to further extend our Budweiser rights and gain additional protections," she said.

Budvar's spokesman Petr Samec welcomed the decision which "will strengthen and stabilize our position within the EU," he said.

"We consider it a logical decision at a moment when Budejovicky Budvar has "Budweiser" trademarks registered in 19 EU countries."

Anheuser-Busch had filed several trademark applications between 1996 and 2000 to protect its most iconic beer brand "Budweiser" and "Bud." Its trademark had covered the use of the word "Bud" on signs, beer labels and promotional goods in the 27 nations of the EU.

The exclusive use of the famous names have seen a number of legal challenges by Budvar, which itself lays claim to the use of the brand and still brews beer in the southern Czech town of Ceske Budejovice — also known as Budweis.

It was not yet clear whether Anheuser-Busch will appeal the two rulings.

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AP Writer Karel Janicek from Prague contributed to this report.