Russia Odyssey to Claw Back Stolichnaya Vodka Trademark Advances

An arm of the Russian government can litigate its claim that it still owns the Stolichnaya and Stoli vodka trademarks in a legal fight dating to 2004, a New York federal court said.

Federal Treasury Enterprise Sojuzplodoimport, a government-chartered entity, can sue because a Russian court voided a privatization as the Soviet Union collapsed, leading to an international liquor conglomerate acquiring the marks, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York said.

William Grant & Sons, Inc. (WGS), which later acquired rights from PepsiCo, argued FTE couldn’t sue because it didn’t have trademark rights.

The decision highlights ...