MOSCOW, December 16 (RAPSI) - Moscow's Ninth Commercial Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling partially satisfying a claim filed by Cipriani, an Italian hotel in the Orient-Express Hotels Group, regarding the early termination of legal protection of the Cipriani brand in Russia, the court told RAPSI.

The brand was registered with Altunis-Trading, Gestao e Servicos LDA, a company within Cipriani S.A. and the owner of premium class restaurants and clubs across the world.

In September, the Moscow Commercial Court ended the legal protection of three trademarks, including Cipriani, Ciprianiconcert.com and Ciprianiconcerts.com that had been registered by the defendant. The company had requested that the court cancel the legal protection of seven brands that include the word “Cipriani” and Cipriani Fashion, in particular, since the defendant does not use them. Both parties have appealed to the court decision.

The plaintiff’s lawyer said that the company acquired the name in 1956 when it was set up. The plaintiff also owns a hotel in Italy and provides services under the brand registered with the defendant, including bar and catering services to Russian nationals at the hotel. The defendant, however, believes that the plaintiff provides services that are not equal to the services for which the brands have been registered. According to the lawyer of Altunis, the plaintiff also failed to prove its interest in the dispute since it does not use the brands in Russia.

The dispute between the countries has been ongoing for quite a long time in different jurisdictions. In Russia, the Cipriani brand belongs to Altunis (Portugal). The Orient-Express Hotels Group fully or partially owns and manages 46 businesses in 25 countries, including the Grand Hotel Europe in Russia.