the Majority shareholders of former YUKOS oil company got the rights to use the trademark “Capital” and other Russian-owned vodka brands on the territory of the Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg), informed the shareholders of the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. Trademark law of Russia, which was confirmed in January, became part of the penalty in the amount of $50 billion, appointed in February by the court of Appeal of the Hague.
the Court ruled in early may. Russian vodka brands began to Yukos shareholders due fact that Russia itself is proved in the court of the nationality of brands, explained in the holding company GML, representing former shareholders of Yukos. In the case of other foreign assets, Russia has disputed the claims, arguing that those belong to individual Russians or are under diplomatic protection. “Russia has spent nearly 20 years to prove their rights to them, so they will be difficult now to deny the right of ownership,” said NRC spokesman. The shareholders are planning to put the brands up for auction in September 2020.
the Federal state enterprise “sojuzplodoimport” which was received from the state the brands of Russian vodka later told RBC that he considers the arrest illegal and intends to appeal against it.
the Dispute over the Soviet brands of vodka — “Stolichnaya” (Stolichnaya), Moskovskaya (Moskovskaya) other comes from the beginning of the 2000s, Russia has attacked them with a group of SPI, founded in 1997 by Russian businessman Yuri Shefler on the basis of JSC “sojuzplodimport” — the company with a name identical to the state, “Soyuzplodoimport”. In 2001 the Supreme arbitration court of Russia returned the brands to the state, which gave them the “Soyuzplodoimport”, since the state is arguing with SPI in other countries. In 2018, the Netherlands Supreme court deprived of the right SPI on the Soviet vodka brands on the territory of the Benelux, agreed to pay Russia all profit from the sale and a further 145 000 euros. Also Russia has passed is derived from “Capital” brand Stoli.
In February 2020, the appeals court of the Hague ordered Russia to pay $50 billion in the case of de facto nationalization of Yukos. In may, Russia appealed the court’s decision. The Ministry of justice believe that the former owners of Yukos to systematically evade taxes and launder money, the court in the Hague, according to the Ministry of justice, disregard that.
