MOSCOW, December 27 - RAPSI. A court shelved the hearings on the legal protection of the Cristal trademark, owned by France's Champagne Louis Roederer, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

Louis Roederer was founded in 1776 and is one of the oldest wine producers in the French province Champaign.

The lawsuit deals with the Russian patent watchdog's 2008 decision which invalidated the registration of the Cristal trademark in Russia, owned by famous wine producer Champagne Louis Roederer. This was done under the application of Soyuzplodoimport, which owns the Kristal trademark registered for vodka. Soyuzplodoimport claimed that both trademarks will be perceived by consumers as the transliteration of the Russian word "kristall" (En. crystal).

Champagne Louis Roederer maintained at the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks that the goods are not similar since vodka producers have never produced and will hardly ever produce champagne.

Earlier, Champagne Louis Roederer told RAPSI that it has the trademark certificate granted by the Russian Empire in 1909.