MOSCOW, June 14 - RAPSI. The Moscow Commercial Court has ruled against the motion filed by U.S.-based SKYY SPIRITS, LLC alcohol producer to protect its right to the SKYY trademark in Russia.

The patent agency terminated the SKYY trademark's legal protection in October 2011 upon the Seychelles-based Esmington Corporation's request. The corporation said the owner didn't use the trademark in Russia. Meanwhile, according to Esmington's website, the company has produced and sold various alcoholic drinks in Russia since 2004.
Esmington uses the SKYY slogan for alcoholic drinks, as well as the SKY-HI and HI-SKY trademarks.

The claimant said at the hearing on Wednesday that it still operates the trademark to deliver goods from the United States to Russia according to a distribution agreement. SKYY SPIRITS also said it was not duly notified about the hearing where the court ruled to stop protecting the trademark.

The patent agency's lawyer said, in turn, that the company was informed about the hearing two months before the hearing date.