MOSCOW, December 12 - RAPSI, Natalia Belova. A commercial court of appeals has upheld a lower court's decision denying trademark registration to a popular online publication, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

The Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks refused to register the "газета.ру," "газета.ru" and "gazeta.ru" trademarks for Gazeta.Ru in February.

The agency reasoned that the trademarks are confusingly similar to the "Gazeta" trademark already registered on behalf of a third party.

The company challenged the decision in a commercial court. The Moscow Commercial Court upheld the decision on the " gazeta.ru" trademark on August 10 and the company contested the judgment in the appeals court.

Gazeta.Ru is a well-known online portal in Russia, established in 1999.