MOSCOW, November 18 (RAPSI) – The Perm Regional Commercial Court has dismissed a claim lodged by Knauf Gips KG, one of the top construction materials producer in the world, seeking to collect about 4.6 billion rubles (about $71 million) from three Russian companies for illegal use of the German company’s trademarks, RIA Novosti reported Friday.

Knauf demanded to recover 2.3 billion rubles ($35.4 million) from the Perm company Gypsumpolymer, 1.5 billion rubles ($23.1 million) from the Trading House of the Prikamsk Gypsum Company and 815 million rubles ($12.5 million) from the Prikamsk Gypsum Company.

The German company in its lawsuit also asked the court to prohibit defendants from using confusingly similar trademarks as well as to seize and destroy counterfeit gypsum plasterboard containing the disputed brands.

In March, the Moscow Region Commercial Court refused to recover 5 million rubles ($77,000) from the Trading House ErSter on a similar claim lodged by Knauf. Later, the German company abandoned its lawsuit.

Knauf also earlier waived a trademark lawsuit against GlavOptStroyTorg in the Kostroma Regional Commercial Court.

Initially, the demands against five abovementioned firms have been filed within one lawsuit with the Moscow Region Commercial Court.

Knauf is one of the largest construction materials manufacturers in the world. In 1993, the group started its investment activities in Russia and CIS countries. Currently, there are 14 Knauf companies in Russia which turn out gypsum plasterboards, dry building mixes, gypsum-fiber sheets, primers, gypsum partition blocks and metal shapes.