MOSCOW, November 11 (RAPSI) - Wendy’s, a large US fast food chain is insisting that the last Wendy’s outlet in Moscow be closed due to the violation of its intellectual property rights. The company has announced its intention to sue its former franchisee, Venrus in a statement released on Tuesday.

Wendy’s entered the Russian market in 2010 through a franchisee, Venrus. The first restaurant opened in 2011. By July 2014, there were eight outlets in Moscow. However, last August, the US company announced it was leaving the Russian market and terminated its contract with Venrus.

Venrus’s franchise rights expired on September 30, 2014. The ex-franchisee was to close all the remaining Wendy’s restaurants in Moscow by that date.

However, despite the agreement to terminate the right to use the trademark, one of the restaurants belonging to Venrus continues to operate under the Wendy’s brand without permission from the franchiser, Wendy’s Global Restaurants, the company claims.

Currently, Wendy’s is the third largest fast food chain in the world, with over 6,500 outlets in 30 countries.