DUSHANBE, October 7, 2008, Asia-Plus — Russia’s Baltika Brewery claims that Tajikistan’s state unitary enterprise Khurokvori (food industry) has allegedly violated its copyright.
Press release issued by Baltika Brewery, in particular, says that beer
Aral
produced by Tajikistan’s state unitary enterprise Khurokvori (food industry) is bottled in a 0.5-liter bottles with elongated neck with transparent label , which is similar in shape and design with the Baltika brand. The beverages compositions are also similar.
They sent an official letter to Khurokvori with demand to stop illegal use of intellectual property. If they do not receive response or the copyright violation cases repeat, Baltika plans to take the matter to court.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Abdurazzoq Majidov, deputy director general of Khurokvori, confirmed that they had received the letter from Baltika recently. “Indeed,
Baltika
and
Aral
bottles and labels are similar,” said Majidov, “However, the enterprise producing the beer
Aral
has nothing to do with Khurokvori.”
According to him, the Khujand-based private company, Okhunov, produces the beer
Aral
. “In our letter of response to Baltika, we have suggested that they should apply to Okhunov,” the Khurokvori official said.
Baltika Brewery began production in 1990. The majority of the company”s shares (85%) are owned by Baltic Beverages Holding (BBH), which is a subsidiary of Carlsberg Group.
Baltika has eighteen breweries, ten of which are located in Russia: two in St. Petersburg and each one in Khabarovsk, Tula, Rostov-na-Donu, Samara, Yaroslavl, Voronezh, Chelyabinsk, and Krasnoyarsk. Their combined output totals 24 million hectoliters per year. Along with the Baltika plants, the BBH consortium operates ten smaller breweries producing its Yarpivo, Pikra and Vena brands.
Baltika produce a range of beers under the Baltika, Arsenalnoe and Leningradskoe brand names. Baltika beers are marketed in 38 countries and earned the company 207 million dollars in profit in 2004. Baltika beers are especially popular in Russia and the CIS.
