EPAM has represented publicly owned joint-stock company Alviz, subsidiary to the Beluga Group, in an intellectual property rights dispute against LLC Shampanskiye Vina.
According to EPAM, Arkhangelsk-based liquor factory Alviz had already been producing vodka under the "Arkhangelskaya" brand when, in 2010, its competitor Shampanskiye Vina registered the brand name "Arkhangelsk". In 2017 Shampanskiye Vina applied to the Artbitral Court of Arkhangelsk region with a claim for trade mark infringement, seeking to liquidate the counterfeit, and obtain compensation for damages.
EPAM proved to the Arbitral Court that the two brands were dissimilar, and that the statute of limitations had expired. As a result of the court's decision, Alviz retained the right to manufacture products under the "Arkhangelskaya" brand. In addition, Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service issued a decision that the Shampanskiye Vina registration and use of the brand name "Arkhangelsk" constituted an act of unfair competition and ruled that the official authorization of the brand "Arkhangelsk" was invalid.
On appeal, the Intellectual Property Group upheld the Arbitral Court's judgment.
The EPAM team consisted of Partner Dmitry Dyakin, Counsels Denis Gavrilov and Pavel Sadovsky, Senior Associate Irina Kosovskaya, Associate Alexander Balyberdin, and Junior Associate Stepan Abramov.
