Outside of America, the term “Budweiser” can alternatively refer to the Anheuser-Busch beer we all know and love stateside, or beer brewed in the Czech town of Ceske Budejovice, or “Budweis” in German. (“Budweiser” means “from-Budweis.”) For decades Budejovicky Budvar has been selling a beer with the descriptive “budweiser,” and has been embroiled in litigation with Anheuser-Busch over the use of the term, which you can read about here. Budvar’s beer is sold as “Czechvar” in the United States.
Image and story come from Foley Hoag’s Trademark and Copyright Law Blog, which also mentions that A-B has been buying up the IP rights of local breweries in Budweis, including Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar. This is probably an attempt to remove the descriptive use of “budweiser” entirely.
