Baltika achieved interim measures against Carlsberg

The Baltika brewing company obtained interim measures against Carlsberg Breweries A/S in the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, as follows from the file of arbitration cases. The company’s request was granted on October 19, and the lawsuit itself was filed on October 17. There are no other details in the case yet.

A Baltika representative declined to comment. The press service of Carlsberg, as well as Rospatent and Rosimushchestvo (the departments are declared as third and other parties in the process) did not provide a prompt response to Vedomosti’s request.

On October 4, the Danish holding Carlsberg Group announced that it had notified Baltika of the termination of licensing agreements for the production and sale of products under the group’s international and regional brands. It followed from the company’s statement that this was a response to the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin dated July 16, 2023, according to which Baltika was transferred to the temporary management of the Federal Property Management Agency.

After Putin signed a decree on the transfer to the temporary management of the state of shares belonging to the structures of the Carlsberg Group, Taimuraz Bolloev, who led the company from 1991 to 2004, became the president of Baltika. After this, the Carlsberg Group reported that there was a change in management at the Russian enterprise occurred without the knowledge or approval of the holding.

Also in the October release from Carlsberg it was stated that the Russian brewing company has the right to sell existing stocks and materials under the Carlsberg brands until April 1, 2024.

In September of this year, Baltika tried in arbitration in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region to obtain from Rospatent a ban on changes to agreements for the use of the trademarks Tuborg, Kronenbourg, Seth & Riley’s Garage, Holsten and LAV. Then the court refused to introduce interim measures, because considered that these demands of the plaintiff are premature, aimed at preventing future consequences that have not yet occurred.

The consideration of the case continues, the preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 7, 2024. From the case materials it follows that the license agreement for the Tuborg brand is valid until December 31, 2023, for Kronenbourg – until January 31, 2025, for Holsten – until December 31, 2034 .and on LAV – until December 31, 2026.

Baltika was founded in 1990 and is currently 100% owned by the Carlsberg Group. The company produces beer under the brands Baltika, Tuborg, Zatecky Gus, Kronenbourg 1664 and others. In 2022, its revenue increased by 22% to 101 billion rubles, net profit for this period amounted to 10 billion rubles.