SPI Group Reigns Victorious in Stoli Trademark Decision in Brazil

- LUXEMBOURG, Nov. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, October 31, 2017, the Federal Court of Appeal of Brazil announced a decision on the appeal in the Stolichnaya trademark case confirming the SPI Group's ownership of the trademarks. The Court of Appeal's decision was unanimous, with the Judge's ruling 3-0 in favor of SPI. This decision marks one more defeat for Russian-state entity FKP Sojuzplodoimport ("FKP") and three other related parties, after several interlocutory decisions, including at the Superior Court of Justice's level, and the Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro's decision made in March 2016 ruling in SPI's favor on the merits.  It flows from the judgment read by the Rapporteur Judge that (1) the 2001 judgment issued by the Russian court in favor of the Russian State would not suffice as grounds for FKP's claims in Brazil, (2) there was no evidence that VVO Sojuzplodoimport, the initial owner of the disputed trademarks, continued to exist as FGUP Sojuzplodoimport, and (3) in any case, the claims are time-barred under the 5 year Brazilian Law statute of limitation. SPI Group expected a positive result in Brazil (as it does in several other jurisdictions where FKP has brought similar claims) since the claims in the long-standing dispute have no merit. SPI and its affiliates own the Stolichnaya trademarks in more than 180 countries. About SPI Group S.à r.l.SPI Group is an independent company with a talented multinational team headquartered in Luxembourg, with production facilities in the USA, Latvia, Mexico, Argentina, and Spain. The group is committed to a mission of building a respected portfolio of select premium drinks brands, which it achieves by controlling and perfecting every stage of the process, from the cultivation through the distribution.