MOSCOW, September 20 (RAPSI) – The Moscow Commercial court will hear a lawsuit on October 21 demanding that Russia’s largest retailers either inform buyers that they are selling a replica of Guinness Irish Stout, or cease selling the drink all together, the court told RAPSI Friday.

The company Aqualife’s lawsuit demands that Russia’s five largest retail networks place a 3x8 cm. warning decal on each individual beer can in order to inform the buyer that Guinness Original is produced with aromatic additives and is a replica of Irish Guinness stout.

In July, the Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals has upheld a previous ruling to ban Aqualife, a grey market importer of Guinness, from importing and distributing the beer in Russia. Grey market imports are goods imported from another country without the official manufacturer's consent.

An Aqualife representative said the company was very interested in the brand during the preliminary hearing. The company’s representative added that there are two kinds of Guinness currently available on the market – one produced in Russia and the other imported. The Irish Guinness has no officials importers in Russia and its trademarks are not in use, Aqualife added.

In March, the Moscow Commercial Court satisfied a suit filed by Diadgeo Ireland against Aqualife, which moved to prohibit Aqualife from importing and selling Guinness in Russia.

Guinness is a beer brand owned by Diageo, initially associated with Ireland’s Arthur Guinness Son & Co., established in 1759 by brewer Arthur Guinness. It is the most widely known and consumed Irish beer.